Many people come to the United States for many reasons, some come for a new start or for better jobs, people also come to raise their families in a better environment then possibly where they previously lived.

Throughout this interview with Robert Vanderpoel, who moved here 26 years ago with his family have shown me about why people might move to the United States. I was able to get a good feel for what his life was in South Africa, and also why his family decided to travel and call another place their home. This story really interested me because it is someone who I have heard a lot about since Vanderpoel works with my mother at Fort Lee, which is an Army Base located in Prince George, VA.  When I first met Vanderpoel, I thought they came over here because he was in the military, but that wasn’t the case.

While living in South Africa, Vanderpoel described it as, “one of the most beautiful countries in the world.” While talking to Vanderpoel, he would go into detail about the people in South Africa and how they could be very friendly and also, “some of the most hospitable in the world,” Vanderpoel said. But, when living in South Africa, Vanderpoel also described that the unemployment and high crime rates were major issues. A lot of the houses are surrounded by eight-foot-high fences that have razor wire at the top of them, and not the mention they also have guard dogs in the yards that could help prevent home invasions, Vanderpoel told me in this interview. He also mentioned that carjacking was also an issue as well.

While deciding to move to America and if it was the right choice for their family, Vanderpoel and his wife thought hard about the decision. According to Vanderpoel, “The main reason we moved to the United States was for our children.” The family had a four-year-old daughter, and an 18-month-old son. The crime in South Africa was going up and the education system was also going down as well. While they were there, they thought about the future for their kids, and knew that staying in South Africa wouldn’t benefit their children, and they thought that bringing them to the United States would’ve given their children a brighter future. The last thing

When they decided to leave their country, they weren’t just leaving their country, they were leaving family members. It was a very difficult decision for the Vanderpoel family to make, but it was also an easy decision as well. The family was leaving behind what they called a “comfortable lifestyle”. But, the easy part that came with moving to the United States, was that Vanderpoel had a great job ready for him that gave them a lot of financial security and the fact that they were moving to a safe environment that also had a better education system rather than the one in South Africa.

While they are very happy in the United States and they now call this place their home, there are still some moments where they miss South Africa. They want to continue to receive the financial security and also stay in a safe environment to raise their family in while being in the United States. While being here, they have found and achieved everything that they were looking for while moving here. Their children are now adults and have bright and amazing futures and also happy families.

Life today for the family is better than they could’ve imagined. Their children are grown up and happy, they had a good education. They feel like they are true Americans and love living here, even though they miss South America sometimes, they still know today that they made the right choice for the four of them. Vanderpoel is very happy with how things are and how things have been going for them the past 26 years. The family will remain in the United States because of the great opportunities that this place has given them, and they will always stay happy for this decision that changed their life, forever.

I’ve learned that sometimes you have to make sacrifices not just for your life, but for your family’s life. If it means moving to another state or country to give them a better life, a better future then you do it. Seeing the outcome of your children or even the outcome of your life makes all the difference in the world. Different places have different opportunities, you just have to find them and make the best of them.