Miriam Martinez
English 98
Imagine growing up in a place where you could feel as free as a bird. Where you could play for hours in the nature, where you knew everybody who lived close by, where you could walk around the streets, where you had lots of friends who grew up with you. Home was my happy place. I loved to go to school and talk with my friends on my way back home. I loved to go out around the streets on my bike. I loved that kids could be just kids and go out and have fun. I grew up in a little town in Zacatecas Mexico. I think I had a very happy childhood, I used to play everyday with my parents, but my favorite part of the day was when all my family sat together to have dinner, that was the time of the day that I enjoyed the most, we talked about our day, we told jokes, we laugh, we played, we simply had quality family time. One day our dinner time was a little different. My dad had a serious look on his face and it was there when he said he needed to talk to us about something very important. He told us that he wanted us to have better opportunities than what he and my mom had. He said that he and my mom had talked and they decided that the best option was to move to the United States. They said that we had a lot of family members in Los Angeles and we were going to have a better life there. We moved when I was 14 years old. I have not even had time to say bye to my friends, to my house, to my life, and even if I did had time I think I was never going to be mentally prepared for a goodbye. I still remember my first day in Los Angeles as if it was yesterday. Everything seemed really different. The trees that I was used to see where now replaced by enormous buildings. The quiet streets where I used to walk were replaced by streets full of people who were always in a rush and never greet. I did not have any friends, never went out by myself, I could not even imagine a bike ride. I did not speak the language so I could not ask for help if I felt...