Afghan refugee shares story of journey from Afghanistan, adjusting to life in the U.S.

AUSTIN, Texas - One Afghan refugee is sharing her story about her journey from Afghanistan and adjusting to life in the United States.

Azita Jawady arrived in the U.S. from Afghanistan four months ago.

"It's a long journey for us because our life is in danger in Afghanistan," she said.

After arriving, she went to the hospital because her baby was born a month early.

"It was really stressful for me," Jawady said. "The plane was not really comfortable for me because I was pregnant. About 20 hours I'm just sitting like this in the airplane, because of that, that's why my baby came early."

She and her husband made their journey through Qatar, New Jersey, and Wisconsin, starting on a military base.

"All of the new people, the camps living is really hard, because it's a new place and there is a lot of people," she said. "It's very different, the food, the people, the behavior of the people is all different."

Jawady has been in Austin for two months now.

She was at an event put on by the Hoft Insititute, which provides English classes. They hold events so refugees from different countries can get to know the local community.

"We're really hoping everyone can find more people that they can rely on," Blair Bourassa, Vice President and ESL Academic Director at Hoft Insititute, said.

"I know a country which is war, the country is dead, and the people just moving, they don't have any feeling, they don't feel anything good, all the time they worry," Jawady said.

With Ukrainian refugees expected to arrive soon, this is what Jawady's message would be to them.

"I say to them be strong, be relaxed, don't be stressed, because now we are, we understand each other," she said.

Since coming to Austin, Jawady and her husband have been doing everything by themselves, from finding a home, to her husband finding a job, to finding transportation.

"It's very hard," she said.

Jawady is still trying to get the rest of her family out of Afghanistan.

"These days, dangerous, it's very dangerous for our people. All the mosques, they had an explosion. Suicide attack," she said.

She says she has hope for the future. 

"Now I'm very happy that I'm living here in Austin. The people are very nice," Jawadi said. "I feel very relaxed because Afghanistan is war, and I'm here safe."