Till this day I still remember the emotions
that were going throughout my head, in one instant I would be nervous then
continue to overthink things and suddenly become scared of not knowing how
things could turn out. 2007 was the year that my life drastically changed. I
was still so oblivious and young, yet at
the age of seven I was able to comprehend and acknowledge the fact that my life
is not going to be the same anymore. My parents gave my siblings and I the news
that we would be moving from our home city in East Los Angeles to Fontana, a
place where I felt the most comfortable would suddenly be an hour away from me.
My sisters an I, being the dramatic children that we are, took in this news and
decided to leave a little peace of our family behind in our house that was
filled with many unforgettable memories. With that being said, we decided to
pay tribute to the place we once called home and came up with the idea to carve
all of our initials in the huge tree that overlooked our house like a
determined protector.
Throughout the days it hit me more an more
that I would be leaving all of this behind. From the icecream man that would
always come around each Sunday to the overload of support and love from the
family that surrounded us. Even though it was only an hour away, to my seven
year old self it might’ve well have been on the other side of the world. As
weeks passed and the time to move came, we packed up our lives and left all of
the beautiful things that came with Los Angeles behind. I can visually remember,
once we arrived in the city of Fontana, how big the houses looked to me. I
couldn't believe that we were gonna live in such a beautiful home, I couldn't
imagine how we could ever fill up our house with decorations when there was so
much empty space. As i took the time to enjoy and warm up to the new
environment that would become my new home, I came to the realization that I
would be entering a completely different school, which meant having to meet new
and very different people that I knew
weren't going to be like my friends back home.
Coming from Los Angeles I was so used to being
surrounded with people who shared the same culture as me and spoke my primary
language which was Spanish. Me, being the shy child that I was, was mentally
started to prepare myself for the fact that I wasn't going to be able to avoid
all the new interactions and awkward moments when becoming the new student,
especially since I was entering in the middle of the school year. While on the
drive to the unknown, I was cherishing that fact that one good thing would come
out of this situation. I would be able
to wear clothes of my choice since I was so used to wearing a certain uniform
that was expected of me each day at my old school. As I entered the gate I
could feel myself getting more and more nervous, the faster we took a step
closer to my classroom, the more I felt as if they were already judging me. As
if they had known already that my english still wasn't the best, as if they
automatically knew I was the new student. I tried my hardest to put those
thoughts aside. I entered the classroom so clueless and naive as to what I
should do next, trying to decide if I should attempt to blend in, hoping the
teacher wouldn't notice this new student sitting in a desk, or if I should just
pull my teacher aside and quietly introduce myself. However, of course she
noticed that there was a new addition the class and pulled me aside so that I
could introduce myself to a class of people i've never meet, which was the one
thing I was hoping to avoid. I could feel my face slowly turning red, I quietly
introduced myself and rushed back to the only empty desk their was. I awkwardly
went through the day desperately wanting to skip lunch and go back home to LA, the only place that I was
comfortable. As lunch began I sat in the mpr while, to my surprise, a classmate
came up to me and started to make conversation with me. She automatically made
me forget how sad I was and suddenly made me feel normal for the first time
since I got here. I then realized that perhaps this whole new world I would be
living in wouldn't be as bad.
Now
that i'm older I am finally able to grasp the idea that if my parents didn't
decide to make the big move here, I
wouldnt be given the amazing opportunities that I cherish today. Yet I made
sure to not lose my culture by giving myself the responsibility of forever
continuing to remember where I came from and
how my parents have given me this whole new path to take in and use to create my future .
16 comments:
I really enjoyed how your experience with changes in culture. People underestimate how different the culture can be just an hour away. I'm glad to hear that you still feel connected to your culture despite being brought to a place with such a different one than the one you were raised with. The way you wrote this piece was personal, relatable and overall just well done.
This was such a good piece! I️ love how you incorporated specific examples in your story. The feelings and emotions that you must’ve felt moving from such a comfortable place is unimaginable!Thank you for being open to sharing this experience. - Sabrina Wilkerson Per. 1
Moving from one place to another and learning to adapt to new environments is never easy. I like how in depth your details were to describe your home in LA, from the ice cream man to the tree infront of your house. This gives us an impression of how important your background is to you. I am glad to hear that by moving to a new city you were able to experience new things and like your new home in the end. Your message at the end of new opportunities in new places is powerful especially as we are about to move to new places after graduation!
This is very good. This reminds me of how my mother made me change schools after going to school in the same school district since preschool. The part where you mention you used to wear a certain uniform reminds me of my elementary and middle school. The school I went to for elementary started at kindergarten and went to eighth grade, so it was also a middle school. We had to wear uniforms since we were a charter school. Coming into high school, I didn't have to wear certain uniforms anymore. I like how you expressed your feelings towards moving and what you felt on your first day as a new student.
Thank you for sharing such a personal story with us. I remember back to my move to Fontana and how nervous and shy I was. As you shared, however, despite how scared I was, I can look back and thank my parents for the opportunities that they have provided to my sisters and I with our move. Your detail was very real and I can almost feel as you had felt back to your seven-year-old self. Great job!
I like this piece! What grabbed my attention the most were the emotions you gave and how you felt being in a strange new environment that you adapted, and saw that you knew that you would have a great future. Amazing story and great use of imagery as well! Erick Gutierrez per.4
I very much enjoyed your blog post, because I could relate with every word within it. As a kid, I moved around quite a bit and having to adjust to the different neighborhoods was always a feat. It really does feel like a completely different world in a kid's eyes. I loved your ability to distinctly describe and clearly separate how it made you feel when you were younger versus how you feel now looking back on it. Amazing piece!! -Imani Crenshaw, per. 2
I'm glad you had a positive experience making the transition. Especially when you're just a kid with little life experience, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been. It's easy to forget that the world and its inhabitants aren't out to make you miserable. People from entirely different cultures, even though they might be strangers, can be as accepting and kind as the people you're familiar with.
You described your experience so well that I felt like I was living through you. I love how you hold your culture dear to your heart no matter where life takes you. Change is good but it is always important to remember where you came from.
I understand the effects of moving somewhere else after living in the same place for so long. The difference a little distance makes to your surroundings is a big one and can be especially stressful at a young age. Everything and everyone you've ever known gone because you had to leave them behind. Although like you said, you've managed to create new bonds and new experiences ever since the move and that doesn't lessen the importance of your past, it only making your future a brighter one. I'm glad to know that you've made the best of your new life and I only hope it gets better from here.
- Justin Presto (Per.1)
Lovely writing! I enjoy your use of visual imagery and you perfectly described what it feels like to experience a sudden change or loss. While I read this I couldn't help but think this is how going away for college might be, but your last paragraph really takes a positive spin on the whole ordeal which makes me excited. The emotions expressed in your writing are superb, great job!
I really enjoyed reading this, especially because I could relate to it so well. I often bounced around as a kid so it was difficult to adjust. I liked how you used so many details and you could really understand your story. Thank you for sharing your story.
Wow, this piece so much because it has a personal connection with me. So, being able to make a very descriptive and informative that can allow anybody to be able to enjoy, you did so very well here, is fantastic and great !
This was a relatable blog post. It reminded me of the time I moved here, I was (and still am) a shy kid, but many people accepted me, even if my English wasn't very good or I looked different. Overall, I enjoyed your blog post, good job!
Hi Valeria! Reading your piece reminded me when I was eleven years old and left the Los Angeles County to live in Fontana. It was almost as if I was eleven again, but seeing it through your eyes and description of your own experience. For example you talked about the ice cream man coming around every Sunday, which reminds me of the elote man who came around my neighborhood every Saturday. I truly am fond of your piece, great job!
Your story is super relatable- I totally understand what it feels like to be thrown in a place where everything is new and uncomfortable. For me, it was when I visited the Philippines and had trouble socializing with cousins and family due to my lack of speaking Tagalog. Hearing your story puts my experience to nothing, as your experience seems much more difficult since you're permanently moving to Fontana while I'm just visiting the Philippines for a break. One of your points that stood out to me the most was when you talked about being thankful for your parents moving here because of all the opportunities, which is something that can be very underappreciated. Even for myself, I need to appreciate the sacrifices made by my parents in order to have a better life.
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