Growing up in California, I was nestled in a suburban town up in the valley. It was a great place to have a childhood. My neighborhood was filled with kids-- from our neighborhood and the surrounding ones-- always playing outside in the street until the street lights turned on. I remember we were always outside, every single day, playing in our grass area we called our "unofficial park"-- it was just a long path with grass on both sides, and a dirt pit at the end. We played games like tag, rode our bikes, climbed the trees, had water balloon fights, and enjoyed each others' company. I truly miss it, because it was the perfect childhood that I want to give my children someday, and I'm still friends with all of the kids from back then. I lived in that neighborhood for 6 wonderful years until the end of middle school, but then it all changed.

I remember being in the car with my mom after being picked up from school one day. She said 5 words that changed my life forever: "We're moving to New York". After she said that, I was SO excited. I had a billion questions, but I started thinking about New York City-- how cool it would be, and how much I loved them for moving us to NYC. What I wasn't thinking about, however, were my best friends, my then future high school, and the dance team I worked my ass off to get into that summer--THE dance team that barely accepted incoming freshmen. When it all sunk in I was devastated! "How could they do this to me? I have to leave my best friends, and that amazing dance team." I cried for weeks, especially when I had to tell all my friends--and the neighborhood squad-- that I was moving to New York. My friends didn't believe me at first, but the squad was super excited. There were lots of mixed emotions since the move was two months away from when my mom had told me.

The moving process was brutal. I had no time to play because after school I had to go home and continue the packing process. My dad had already left to get us settled, so it was just my mom and sisters packing up the house, and our lives in California. By the time we were ready to leave, I was still very sad, and I wasn't ready to leave, but I had no choice in the matter. The plane ride cross country was long, and when we arrived in New York it felt like a completely different country. Taking in sights I've never seen before was both exciting and terrifying.

Once we got settled and started the school process, I got a taste of how hard life would be in NYC. My sister and I didn't get settled into a school until the last 3 days before the school year began. The whole process was just terrible. I hated it at that point, because all I could think about was Cali, the high school I was meant to go to, and the dance team I had a spot in. Other than my personal preteen problems I was faced with, I hadn't realized how much of a culture shock it was until I started school.

It was a culture shock in many ways: 1) The many melting pot of races. In my town there were main races: African, Indian, Mexican, White, and Asian. I had never heard of Dominicans, or Jamaicans until then. 2)The main thing that I was really shocked about-- the thing that changed my perspective of the world-- was the family dynamics. Many of my new friends had never met their dads, or moms. Many were only children, or lived with their grandparents only. In Cali all of my friends' parents were married, they had 2 or more siblings, and their grandparents only visited on the weekends. It had really opened my eyes up to the world, and made me realize that not all families are together, and those kids were either perfectly okay with that, or struggling emotionally. It made me notice the real life struggles that teens faced every day. It also made me get over my personal problems, because I had a better understanding of being grateful for my family and my childhood.

Now living in Rhode Island, I appreciate the years I lived in New York because that's where I grew up. I always say: "I was raised in California, but grew up in New York". Because I wasn't sheltered anymore, I matured in New York and it will always be a part of me. I'm sure I would've matured in California, but not as quickly as in New York. I probably would still be self centered, and I wouldn't have the life lessons I do today. I loved living in both states. I am still adjusting to life in Rhode Island--even though I've been living here for 3 years-- I am still growing more, and still seeing how Rhode Island will shape my future self.