It may be a cliché, but many still believe it. They call it the American Dream and the US is in fact the goal destination for many young students, artists, musicians or dancers pursuing their boldest ambitions. Riccardo Passera, an eighteen-year-old dancer from Milan is one of them.

My friendship with Riccardo began at Les Galipettes nursery school in Milan. Growing up, our paths diverged, but they crossed again when we started our new lives in the US. After our high school years, we both decided to travel to the proverbial land of opportunity.