Personal Narrative: My Journey To Georgia

In second grade my parents approached me with the information that my dad would be enlisting in the military. They also informed me that we would be moving 16 hours away to a barrier island called Tybee Island near Savannah, Georgia. As a small second grader my first thought was that we would be leaving all the people we loved behind which included my grandparents, cousins, close family, best friends, and animals. At first I thought maybe my mom would let me stay and live with my grandparents, but shortly found out that a second grader had no say in where they lived and who with. So we packed our bags, survived the goodbye hugs and painful 16 hour car drive.
My life changed somewhere in the middle of our journey to Georgia and without realizing
it, I began to see that it was a change for the better. Upon arrival, my sister and I had no idea we would be living on a beach. We had never seen one before so, as soon as we stepped out onto Tybee Island, we dug our stif car ridden toes into the warm sand and got a glimpse of how wonderful living in this atmosphere would be. I not only fell deeply in love with the beach and southern weather but also with the closeness I gained toward my mother and sister, who are currently my best friends.
I started school my first Monday there in the beginning of my 3rd grade 1st semester, as “the new kid”. This was a challenge since I had an ”accent” and had never before worn a uniform to school. I saw too many new faces and began to learn a new language all before lunchtime had even came. That school year taught me a small tidbit of spanish and how to build friendships instantaneously. These new friends, along with my family, helped me get through the next thing that life threw at me; the death of my great grandfather and supplier of all things my mom said no to.
I had the knowledge that he was dying from skin cancer before we left our home in Missouri where he resided.
Although I did not know the seriousness of it when I left him for the last time. The news of his death shattered my 3rd grade mind and heart, as he had been my favorite lap to sit on, and had the most contagious laugh I had ever known. We came home for his funeral and I cried the most I ever have on that day. My faith was changed when he left the world because he was a big Jesus lover and I wanted to be just like him and my great grandma. He helped to shape the person I am now and for that I am forever grateful. While living in Georgia during his sickness along with not having a full time dad brought a hardship that made me stronger.
My dad was usually gone for work or overseas in the years we lived in Savannah. He was an Army Ranger and that required a lot of dedication, not only from him but also from his wife and kids. I looked up to him and was always awaiting his arrival home. I could hardly wait to give him a hug and tell him thank you for the letters and how much I missed him. I became a stronger minded child while surviving many months in a row without my dad.
The move to Georgia will always have a place in my heart as I remember all the exceptional people I met and the extraordinary memories I made. I learned more things about life as a 4th grader in Savannah than I ever did in the years leading up to high school. I became mature and stronger minded, which not
only gave me an advantage, but also all my surrounding family.