Personal Narrative: Moving To California

I’ll never forget having to leave my friends and family behind and having to move across the country. It was the summer of 2008, and I was 10 years old at the time. The huge brown boxes, indicated the progressive yet subtle hints of our departure. I did not know why my father took the job in Washington D.C., but I did know that I resented him for it. However, it wasn’t long before I realized the move was for my own good. Back in California, my family lived in a tightly cramped two bedroom and one bathroom apartment. I soon realized moving to Virginia gave my family unspeakable opportunities, those that some take for granted, such as being able to live in a single family home. Coming to Virginia was similar to coming to a foreign country. The roads were different, the people were different, and the atmosphere was different; everything seemed foreign.
I tried my best to fit in but arriving at a completely new area and having to make new friends was an extremely scary thought for me. I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t have any friends, and I felt isolated. All I wanted to do was go back to California to the familiar faces I left behind. As the year progressed, I was forced to break my shell and interact with others in my class gradually becoming more confident in myself and making new friends. The internal battles I had to endure in me becoming more social eventually taught me not to be afraid to build relationships. Learning this at an early stage was very beneficial to me because now I am not afraid to talk to complete strangers and even befriend