Moving can be difficult for many reasons, such as having to learn a new city and culture and getting adjusted to a new career. When I was around eight years old, I moved from Texas to California because my mom got a new job opportunity. My brother had already graduated high school and decided to stay, but I was distraught. Moving to a new house is one thing, but moving to another state was not okay with me. As a young child, I didn’t understand why my mom had to take the job and what was going through her head. I didn’t want to leave my school, family, or friends. Leading up to Christmas day, I remember packing up our house little by little. On the last day of school before winter break, we had a Christmas party and I remember my teacher saying it would be my goodbye party. When all my friends were hugging me, I felt sad, like I shouldn’t be leaving. I remember going home and begging my mom to stay. Why did I have to go to a new city, a new house, a new school, and meet new people? It just didn’t make any sense to me.
On Christmas day, I felt overjoyed as it was one of my favorite holidays and I couldn’t wait to open my presents. I got to spend a lot of time with my family and cherish the moments, knowing that I wouldn’t be living there anymore. Two days later, my mom woke me up and told me to get dressed and say my goodbyes. Mom’s longtime friend, Senae, came and the three of us got in the car and set off on our long drive to California. The drive took two days, during which I watched movies on my iPad, cried, and took pictures of every state sign on my 3DS. When we arrived in Los Angeles, we stayed with my mom’s longtime friend, Tarnita. My mom assured me that if I ended up not liking it there, we would move back. A week later, I started school. Walking in, I was nervous because I had to meet new people. I noticed there weren’t many black students. The lady in the office called my teacher, and she then sent two students to come get me and bring me to the class. The girls were nice, and we hit it off immediately, spending the whole day together. After school, I went home and told my mom I had new best friends and that I loved California. Since then, we have moved around and eventually settled in Pasadena, California. I love every second of being there, and I enjoy going home to Texas a few times out of the year.
Moving across the country helped me gain adaptability skills. Every time I went to a new school or place, I wasn’t scared but more excited. I am more open to meeting new people and learning more. Going from Houston to California was an emotional rollercoaster. I went from missing my family and calling them every day to having fun with my new friends in California. This move made it easier for me to go to college in Atlanta. Having to learn my way around a new city and community was easy and exciting for me. Growing up in California, there weren’t many black students at my schools, and I decided I would go to an HBCU and be with people who were more like me. Coming to Clark Atlanta University was easy for me because I have moved before in my life. I was able to make new friends almost immediately at my orientation. My mom would always ask me if I was sure about going to Atlanta because I would be without her. That was the only sad part for me. Since it has always been just me and my mom, I knew it was going to be different living on my own. Yet I wasn’t scared when it was time to move in but excited. When my mom left, I shed a few tears, but ultimately I was happy to be here in Atlanta.
Moving to California at a young age made a significant change in my life. This experience taught me adaptability, resilience, and how to embrace new environments. Although it began as an emotional transition, it ultimately helped me learn to navigate unfamiliar places. As I move forward in life, I realize that each relocation prepares me for something bigger in the next chapter. I am grateful that my mom introduced me to new environments; because of her, I am not afraid of change. I embrace it, and I encourage everyone to do the same.
