Leaving My Life Behind

I leaned my head against the car window watching the leaves blowing around, just trying to distract myself from a slight feeling of emptiness inside of me. This feeling seemed all too familiar to me. My family and I had all of our possessions packed into boxes yet again. We were moving to a new state. At this point, up rooting our lives and starting over almost seemed more like a hobby than anything more significant. However, I have just now come to realize that what seemed like constant inconveniences in the past, have actually taught me how to be the best me with influences all around the country. Living in three different states and five homes may have been a challenge, but it provided me with memories that I wouldn’t trade for anything because those moments created the person I am today.

It had finally arrived. Moving day. I was finally leaving my home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania after five short years and a sort of gloom lingered in the air. Although many teenagers would be excited to reunite with their family, friends, and childhood home, I, however, was frightened of the future. I woke up that morning and just laid there and listened to the sound of the rain pittering against the roof and windows, pattering against the surrounding forest in which I shared many memories. After what felt like centuries of just listening and reflecting, I got up and looked out the window. I looked at my neighbor's house across the field of grass which separated our houses and at the kids who had become like my siblings. I looked at the ice

The weather cleared up and me, along with my entire class and teachers, got to enjoy a beautiful ceremony. Lining up we started to proceed out to the football stadium from the gymnasium, my mind would not stop thinking. I just could not stop remembering what it took for me to get to this day. The stress that I endured studying for the SAT, filling out my applications and most importantly, perfecting my essay. The idea that I was not going to be living in this beautiful town I have spent my life in, brought a flood of emotions. Thoughts of my friends not being by my side next year made me feel as if I was sinking into a deep hole; this place, this town has had so much to offer to me. The past two years that I had spent in this place were the most emotional and exciting times of my life. I knew even though I was not going to be waking up in my familiar place anymore, I would be waking up in what was to become my new familiar place. I knew that even though my friends would not physically be there with me every day, that they would be there when I called them. If it were not for all of the people I have met along the way, I do not think I would have ended up where I am today. It just is a common thought for whenever I get sad about everything ending, I remind myself that there is a new beginning coming and it is going to be amazing. The place that I have spent my whole life

That storm was it, we had been suffering for weeks. There was dust all over our house, most of our things were broken. Our crops were dying because of the gruesome drought we had gotten, so that meant that my father was not making any money from our crops and we were barely getting anything to eat. Although our life those past few weeks has been tough, I didn’t want to leave. We moved there from New Hampshire a good four years before and since then I had grown so much, I had so many friends and I was doing so well in the school there, but it was time for us to move and live in sunny California.

I never knew this would be my last day here… in Chicago. I hate my dad’s job, this is why I'm moving. Moving cities every year is hard and I hate it. My parents don't seem to bother all that much, they do it mostly for the money. As all these thoughts ran through my head, time went by and I finally arrived at my new house. As I out, all I could feel was the cold wind hitting my face and leafs attacking my fresh new j’s. Looking ahead of my was the fourth and certainly not the last house of mine.

After a long ride, we saw our new home for the first time. It wasn’t luxurious, but to a couple of young children like us it was cool to live on the beach. The changes that lied ahead of us were great. There are many ways in which this new start changed my life. First, no longer did we live in fear. This enabled me to move on. I enrolled in eight grade that year. I felt like had a fresh start. No one knew my business. I could make myself whatever I wanted. My whole personality changed. That year I started at quarterback for junior high and from there everything started to look up. If I was to go into details of all the success I had it would be bragging, so I am just going to say I went from a casualty of a broken home to a respected and important part of High Island High School. In the five years I was there, I had more fun and a more productive life than all the other years put together.

     The day I moved away, a lot of things were going through my young mind. As I took my last look at my home, I remembered all the fun times I had with my family and friends through out my

And it was okay. Mom and i sat at the bench and it all felt okay again. The soft dirt beneath my flip flops, the seabreeze coaxed from the hills, the hot salsa steaming on my fork, all made it okay. All of it was, in a way, meant to be; it was such a valid explanation of what life is, an inconsistent, instantaneous series of happenings, forever occurring until the end of life itself. Even the moment i hated the most, feeling the sideview mirror scrape the blue paint off of the vintage chevy, was an integral (lmao pun intended) moment, no more or less important than the happy moments before, singing Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” with a sultry spin, and after, absorbing the final breath of the dwindling west coast

With a little less than a week left of school my mom took us to school to drop off our books. While there I stopped in a class and said goodbye to all my friends. I didn’t say anything to them until that day, I said goodbye we hugged and I left. On the drive over to the new place it ended up raining making it an even worse day. The new place was nowhere close to how nice our old place was, the new was a beaten up old trailer in an old trailer park in Amelia. My uncle and aunt already had 5 kids

When I first heard we were moving here, I thought to myself. Why did dad have to take this job? I mean I don’t hate it here. I just hate the fact that I didn’t get to tell most of my friends I was leaving. Although, something good came out of this. I get to see an old friend of mine, at least start something over. This house is nicer than the one before. I still remember the time when mom thought there was a rat in the cabinets, man was she scared.

My parents had packed everything. EVERYTHING. There was bareness on the walls and there was around us except piles and piles of boxes. I looked around the house one last time as cold salty tears streaked down my face. I was covered in tears from the waist up. The feeling of leaving everyone made me empty inside. I felt hollow. Finally my dad said, “Let’s go!” I pleaded with him to let us stay, but I got the same usual answer, “You’ll be fine.” I wasn’t.

The new environment was a well-needed change, and we quickly began school that August. Everything for once was manageable and running smoothly. Then, I blinked, and when I opened my eyes, high school was over, and I was facing an ultimatum presented to me by my mother; either I go to college, or I move out and figure my own life out. I resentfully chose the first option.

I lived in my own little bubble. It was perfect and clear. I did have some abnormal things go on inside. Fires, a strange step-dad, even some near-death experiences, but it seemed that nothing could pop that bubble. I had a great family, friends, and home. If only you could have seen my bubble, it was indestructible, until it wasn’t. Maybe it was the timing or how she said it, but I never took the words “we’re moving” seriously. Actually, it wasn’t until the day that I was to leave that it started to sink in. The sun glared across the brick wall in the

Learning that everyone’s time is precious and we should live every moment alongside the people we love the most, because we’ll never be too sure when they’re going to leave us. Till this day it still doesn’t feel real, I keep telling myself that one day she’ll be back and everything will be ok. She was the heart and soul of our family where we all would gather at Thanksgiving time or just on a regular day. Her home was always full of joy and excitement but now it’s full of loneliness and darkness. She is gone now, to a new home, a home called

As the end of the night approached us, I couldn’t stop thinking about how many mixed emotions I had about starting a whole new chapter in my life. I couldn't wait to go to college, meet all new people, get a degree so that I could start my career path, but I knew that meant I had to say goodbye to my two best friends, who were moving several hours away from me. This was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do in my life. We all cried a little, and then made promises to keep in touch, and then we were off into the real world! I was very happy to be at this point in my life, but I was scared deep down inside.