Four Years, 2017
I took this picture when I was walking near Lawrence and Lake Michigan. I saw two people paddle boarding far away from the shore, and it reminded me of my childhood playing, swimming and fishing with my brother in the Persian Gulf in Bandar Abbas, where I grew up. My brother and I spent many hours together doing what we loved most: being around the water.
In this photo, you can see how the waves go up and down because I held the camera very close to the water, almost touching it. I feel like the waves represent the ups and downs of my life. Now that I have passed a very difficult low period, I hope that I will land on a high wave and be able to see my brother and my family again.
In the online exhibit Picturing a New Life in Chicago, people who were forced to flee their home countries because of war, persecution or violence share photos and inspiring stories about adjusting to a new life here. Some of the photographers came to Chicago through a refugee resettlement program. Others sought political asylum. Learn more in Online Exhibit: Forced Migration Photovoice Project.
