Moving doesn’t seem like such a bad thing – you get a new house and a fresh start.

But when you move constantly every two to three years, it’s difficult to enjoy it. But don’t get me wrong, I love making new friends and seeing new places and such. It’s upsetting how when I start to like it, I leave it. But even though the moving experience has hurt me in many different ways, it has also helped me become the person I am today, making me able to adjust to places quickly as well as giving me strong social skills.

I’m just a kid living in the country when my parents decided it was a good idea to move to the city, more specifically Dallas. It’s my first time as a city girl given I grew up in the middle of nowhere most of my life. I’m starting at a new school, with new people and a new home. I’m sad because I’m leaving the place I have been for years, but the idea of living in the city gave me a rush of excitement. The city for me is a place of opportunity, where you can go shopping and visit fancy restaurants. And I did just that. Going to the mall for the first time was so fun. I saw escalators for the first time but I was scared my foot would get stuck in it. As well as buying some shoes and clothes with the lingering aroma of churros and pretzels. You could imagine little me gasping and dropping my jaw at everything I saw. I was astonished. I had found out what I was missing out on. I loved the city and never wanted to leave.

It was finally time to start the first day of elementary school in the city, and I was excited and nervous of what was to come. I stepped into my classroom confident but shy. Scared of what the other kids would think of me, given I wasn’t from around here.

All eyes were on me wondering “Who is this girl?” The teacher told me to sit at an empty table, and as I looked over, I could see potential friends, but I wouldn’t dare utter the first word to them if they didn’t want me to. But thankfully, I didn’t have to. Once I came over, questions started flying over me like mosquitos. “What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “Do you like it here?” But the teacher quickly snapped at them to settle down; I couldn’t wait to go the next day.

As the years went by, I became good friends with everyone in my classes. When it was time to move somewhere else, I cried wondering how I could find other friends as good as them. 

I’m starting my first day of middle school in a new town: excited and nervous. I step into my classroom, confident but shy. All eyes on me wonder “Who is that girl?” As I make my way to sit down at a random table, I look up to notice I’m sitting with popular people who begin asking me questions and saying I’m their bestie like they’ve known me their whole life. As the years went by, I became friends with mostly everyone in my classes, breaking out of my shell and becoming more extroverted. And just when everything was going good, then came the moving part. 

Saying goodbye to the people who have given me so much confidence and happiness. 

First day of high school in a new town, excited and nervous. I stepped into my classroom with my school uniform, confident but shy. All eyes on me wondering “Who is that girl?” Making my way to an empty desk, I made friends with some people in my class. This school is different from any other I’ve been to. There are metal detectors, clear backpacks and a strict uniform policy. As time goes by, I get used to it, and now I’m in a group full of talented dancers and singers. I start to realize I love doing this, and I’m not bad at it. I continue choir and dance, hoping to become a part of the drill team. But nothing lasts forever, and it was time to move again. I’ve got to say this one hurt the most. While everyone was auditioning to be in the drill team, I had to sit back and watch my dreams fade. All I ever wanted was to be with my dance team; they gave me so much happiness and confidence in myself. But I had to put those feelings aside and move on like I do every time. 

I’m starting at a new high school, a new house and a new town I moved to on short notice. I walk into my classes with people who already know each other and have been familiar with each other the whole year, but there I am stuck with no friends until a few kids from my class start to talk to me. I was so scared because we had to take exams, but I had no clue what I was doing. Since they have another style of teaching here, the whole test I was so confused and agitated at how I couldn’t use what I had learned at my other school. So when the scores came out I didn’t even want to look.

My teachers were amazed at how comfortable I became after a few days, but I guess I’m used to it now. Coming and going from school to school doing work and earning credits I will lose in the end. Joining clubs and extracurriculars and excelling but having to leave them behind was one of the hardest things to do. Finally the last day of school came, but I came back the next year better than ever. However, I had no classes with my friends I made last year so I had to make new ones. In a sense, it was like being new all over again, but now I’m surrounded by friends and teachers who love me. 

But I won’t get too attached because I know I will leave soon. I hope this cycle ends, and for my family and me to find a place we like, settle and stay there forever, making memories and feeling at home in our home.

But ‘till then it will continue to be another year, another school, another house and another group of friends for me.