Bolt

Three years ago, October 2007, I was leaving to Oregon in the United States for three months for improving my English. Oregon is in northeast of the country.  It is located really close to Washington and California. I was going exactly to Beaverton, OR. My aunt, Claudia lives there with his husband, my little cousin, Marcella, and my big cousin, Jose. I was really nervous and eager about the departure because I had never flight alone. One day after school ended, I was in the airport at 5:00 am, it becomes a sad farewell. My mother started crying; for me that was the worst thing in the whole world, because my mom is the strongest woman I have ever known. When I saw her crying, I just tried to swallow down all the sadness and tears, but I just could not. The part when we have to take different ways came and she left. When I went downstairs I just saw a guy, my age, sitting next to the chair I was planning to sit in. I sat and I heard to music through my new iPod, so he was. After a while we started talking and introduced ourselves, his name is Alfredo, and it turned to be a friend of Carlos, an old friend of mine. We noticed that we were flying to the same state but different places. We agree with continue communicating for any kind of stuff, as parties or hangouts. After some hours we were taken to the airplane. I get comfortable and started reading an English book for a vacation project, which name was “Tangerine”.

After some flight hours, we landed and I walk out to get my luggage. When I was walking outside to meet my uncle, I just heard a far “Celeste”. So I looked back and saw my uncle, I went with him, he helped me with the luggage and we get in the car. It was a red small car, beautiful and comfortable. We spend approximately half an hour in the car driving and talking about the travel. Then he parked and we get down and he showed me the department, it was a really cozy place. I felt welcome and expected, the whole family was happy to have me there. I get there 7:00-8:00 pm. I was tired and with infinite desires to sleep. My aunt showed me the room, it was a small, dream room, with a big window in one wall, a huge closet for my cloth in the back and in the front a piece of furniture with a television on it. The bed was cover with a princess bedspreads. I enter the room; change into my monkey pajamas and started sleeping deeply. In the next day, we went to arrange everything about the school I was going to attend there. They made me some quizzes and tests to analyze how I was doing in Guatemala. At the next week, I started attending school and won’t lie; they made me feel great and quiet. I loved to attend school with different types of people. I made incredible and awesome friends, who made me feel at home.

But nothing is perfect and after a month everything started to come down, I was not anymore satisfied and happy being there. The only thing I wanted is to return with my parents and sisters. Every time my father called me and talked with me, I cried and I felt I was just too far away for the people who gave me life, my parents. It was insupportable to be there, I didn’t get out to hangout with friends and have a happy time, but to stay at the house was the matter. One November day my father called and as usual I started crying, this time he realized how bad I was spending the time out there, he talk me about some alternatives we could do for me to return earlier. One day I received some e-mail from him that change my mood, it was the new route (itinerary) of my journey. It didn’t go directly to Guatemala, but to Miami, because my parents were planning to spend some time over there for vacations. I could wait November 26^th to come, and the expected day came. My uncle, Aunt Claudia and Marcella took me to the airport and left me there. I went and bought something to eat, specifically a fruit juice and a giant chocolate chip cookie. I was really nervous entering the airplane because I knew that when I landed I would see my parents again.

We depart from Oregon and arrive on Florida, I was happy and we get out the airplane and we took a train. I became scared because I didn’t know where I had to come out. But I left it to destiny I get down in a random stop. I came out and started walking and back there they were, waiting for me, my parents. I ran to where they were and cried, but not of sadness, but because of happiness. This was a bolt for me, because it showed me how important the family is for me and how much I need them in my normal days, even if sometimes I don’t think about it.