If there is only
one moment in my life that I will never forget it would be that day, the
morning of October 15th, 2011. That day I left home for the first
time without parents accompanying me and traveled thousands of miles to go to
college by myself.
It was 7 A.M when we arrived at the airport.
My dad parked his car in front of airport. My mom and I got out of the car and
pulled out three huge suitcases from the trunk and back seat. I quickly found a
cart to put the suitcases on. My mom was standing next to me and insisting to
do this for me. I am always a child in front of mom. However, I did this by
myself because I was going to leave my parents for a very long time in a few
hours; no one would help me expect myself. We pushed the cart and looked for
the right flight company. I didn’t really care about those things before
because my parents were always the ones who took care of me. However, this
time, since I was leaving home, I started to notice all of those signs by
myself. My mom showed her happy face because I looked more mature; I could see
her “I am proud of you” expression on her face.
Now it was 8A.M.. I got the boarding pass and
we still had 2 hours until the plane took off. We sat in front of the security
check. There was a huge area with benches surrounded by trees. I observed all
the people sitting there. They were mostly families just like us. I could see
some moms with tears in their eyes as well as their daughters. To be honest, I
didn’t like this situation. I always felt embarrassed to see parents cry
because they are the strong ones in my heart.
We sat down and began to talk about random stuffs. I meant to avoid any
touchy topics since I was about leave this country, and leave the people who
were always there for me for the last 18 years. My mom was really upset. She
had that “ on the verge of crying” face which forced me to change our conversation
to some happier topic. My dad is always the spiritual support of the family. He
seemed much more composed than my mom right now, even though I could tell that
the softest part of his heart didn’t want me to leave the home either. But, it
was my destiny to go to the United States and there is nothing that could
change this fact. My heart was more filled with uncertainty and fear. I still
couldn’t believe that I was going to whole new “world” by myself without anyone
I knew. I was going to go on my own new adventure, a whole new chapter in my
life book. I was excited; I was scared. Does that mean that I would no longer
be the little princess at home and I would have to live on with the strongest
part in my heart instead? Will it be hard? Will I cry? Yes, but I was ready. If
you chose a path in your life, then there is nothing you should be afraid of.
I gave a big my smile to my parents a warm
and sweet smile that belonged to their daughter.
It was 9:30 A.M.
Time to go. I packed up all of my stuffs, stood up, and walked with my back
straight and head high
“Bye mom!” I said.
She looked at me,
and tears were pouring down her face.
“Bye dad!” I said,
and I hugged him.
I went into the security check without turning
my head.
“ I can do
this!!!” I told myself. At that moment, I felt like an adult. I was being
mature and taking more responsibility. That’s a coming-of-age moment.
Thank you for sharing this story. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to come this far from home for your college education, and it must have taken a large amount of courage to do so. I totally understand the sadness that your parents show when you have to leave home. But I guess I should stop complaining about how I miss my home that is just 45 minutes away!
ReplyDeleteHi Bessy, Great description of your own coming-of-age story. Having to move across an ocean and settle down in another country is certainly a challenge. Thanks for writing about so well. I enjoyed your sketch. dw
ReplyDeleteBessy,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your story! It's always fascinating to me to hear about journey's to another country. It's just about the farthest from home you could be!
Suggestions for making it longer:
1) You mentioned you don't like to see your parents cry because they are the strong ones in your life. Maybe you write a brief paragraph about a time when they were strong when you needed them to be.
2) You talked about how difficult it was to leave. Has it gotten easier since you left? If so, did you expect that it would or are you surprised at how much you've grown.
3) Are you the first person in your family to leave your home country? If so, maybe you could talk about how that put more (if any) pressure on you to be successful in your academic studies.
Hope these suggestions help! See you in class.
Bessy,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about your first time to leave for TCU. It is truly inspiring that you have come all this way and are so successful. I think this would make a great story to expand upon for your final draft. One part of the story you could expand upon is about your preparation to leave, the months, even years before leaving, and culminate that with your experience at the airport. Another part that would be good to discuss further is the reasons behind your decision to study here in America, what influenced you to come here. Lastly, you could write about how living here has compared to what you were expecting on that day at the airport.
-Sydney
Bessy: This was an amazing “coming-of-age” story! I have many international friends here at TCU and I am always in awe of their courage to leave their homes, families, and friends in order to come to the United States for collegiate education. I went through similar emotions when I said goodbye to my parents my first year at TCU; the experience was heart wrenching, but also freeing as I faced a world full of new opportunities and my first taste of true independence. However, my family only lives 11 hours away; I cannot imagine how frightening and heartbreaking it must have been for you to leave your home and travel to a new country. I admire you for your bravery and resolve. Thanks for sharing this personal story, a truly enlightening and engaging read!
ReplyDelete