Narrative Essay on 1,492 Mills and No Major Life Change

My legs were cramped, and I was so done, but I could see it coming up. There it was, the Kansas state line in all its glory. Except it wasn’t exactly glorious. Saying goodbye, leaving my old life behind, riding in the car for days, and starting my new life, was all a part of the bitter-sweet journey of moving states. At the moment, I dreaded the thought of moving, but in reality, everything happens for a reason, and my life wouldn’t be the way it is now had that move not taken place.

I lived in California for my whole life, born on the Camp Pendleton Military Base and raised in my hometown of Fallbrook. Southern California was the place for me. I lived forty-five miles north of San Diego, where the weather was excellent, and the land was pretty. Our house had hundreds of trees and all sorts of fruit: kumquats, pomegranates, lemons, oranges, plums, and tangerines. I loved everything about where we lived and never wanted to leave.

It was after my third grade school year, and I was nine years old, big enough to know what was going on but too small to have an opinion. Towards the end of May, my mom and stepdad decided that it was time to relocate, prompted by the thought of being with our extended family and the lower cost of living. I remember being called into the living room with my sister and sitting on the couch, curious about what they wanted. It was time to hear the news. My parents told me the worst thing in the world; we would be moving from California to Kansas, where my stepdad’s family lives. I didn’t even know what to think. My head was going a thousand miles a second, would I ever see my classmates again, what would happen to my friends, how about our house, my room, our animals. What am I going to do now? After this initial wave of thoughts came the flow of emotions. I was surprised by the sudden change of plans, discouraged about leaving everything behind, and terrified of what was to come. 

Fast forward into late August, and it was time to start packing. At this point, I had come to terms with moving. I was able to hang out with my friends and say my final teary-eyed goodbyes. I looked at it as a new adventure in which I would make new friends and be closer to family. My grandpa and uncle flew in from Kansas to help us move. I had only seen them twice before, so I was shy at first. However, I opened up to them and realized how funny they were, making the move easier. My grandpa told me about our family in Kansas and the things that awaited me. Somebody I was extremely excited to meet was my cousin Hunter. He’s a couple of years younger than me, and I had never had a boy cousin close to my age to play with.

In no time, it was August 31st, and we’d be leaving the following day. Without delay, we loaded up the piles of boxes into the giant bright yellow U-Haul. By the time we finished, my arms were sore and heavy from carrying boxes. I spent the rest of the day going around my house and yard, taking in all the memories. One thing I noticed was the walls marked up with lines to record our height, reminding me of how much I’d grown while living there. After this, I made the climb all the way to the top of my favorite tree one last time, where I would always go to relax. I spent a while thinking about what would happen if I were to stay up here; they would never get me to go. I knew I wouldn’t be able to and reminded myself that there was a more significant reason for me to move. When I had gotten down, it was supper time. My last meal in California was a big juicy burger from In-N-Out since we knew there wouldn’t be any of those in Kansas. It might’ve been the event behind it, but that was probably the most incredible burger I’ve ever tasted. Quickly, night had fallen, and we had an early morning, so I went to sleep for the last time in my house.

Sooner than I expected, it was morning and time to hit the road. We double-checked everything, loaded up the dogs, rabbits, and my snake, and hopped into our Mitsubishi Montero. It was a tragic moment stepping into the car, knowing that I’d never come back. We drove off, and I turned around and waved at nothing, feeling as empty as the house that we’d just left. We continued down the road, with our yellow U-Haul trailing behind us. 

During the trip, I kept busy by listening to music, reading, and drawing. It gives me nostalgia to think of having my earbuds in, blasting music, and cruising down the road. Another way that I passed the time was by taking naps. I found it easy to sleep in the moving car, especially being entrapped in a hefty leopard print blanket that I brought with me. However, when I was awake, our trip seemed never-ending. 

I found out that we were stopping by my great-grandma’s house in Arizona, where my grandma and aunt on my mom’s side were staying to take care of things since she had recently passed. It was the first time I had visited since my great-grandma had passed, so there were some sorrowful emotions all around. Even so, I was thrilled to get to see my favorite grandma and great aunt, which made the drive that much more worth it. When it was time to go, I struggled because that was the second goodbye I had to make that day. I let the tears out this time as I hugged my grandma. She squeezed me back, and after we embraced, I could see a tear in her eye. She reassured me that I would see her again and told me to be strong for her. With that encouragement, I was content and ready to load up to leave again. 

Later on, we arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we stayed in a hotel. Being the first night away from home, it felt peculiar. I found it difficult to sleep and didn’t get much rest before waking up early in the morning. Luckily I was able to fall right back asleep when we started driving. Being drained physically and emotionally enabled me to sleep for most of the trip until my parents nudged me awake and said we were getting close to Kansas. I was done with the drive and tired of being cramped in the car. The next thing I know, my mom tells us we’re in Kansas as we look out the window and see the state border sign. At that moment, I thought to myself, this is it, as I realized I would be living here for the next chapter of my life. We drove the last few hours to my step grandparents,’ everyone antsy and ready to get out. 

Finally, on July 2nd, our road trip ended as we arrived, and our new Kansas lives began. It was late afternoon when we got there, and my step-grandma was waiting to greet us. She gave us the biggest hugs as we stepped out of the car. After the long journey, we went inside and relaxed. I had no idea what my life would be like living in Kansas, but I was ready to call this place home.

Ultimately, moving from California to Kansas has been a considerable change in lifestyle and scenery. I could’ve negatively taken this change in my life and let it keep me down, but instead, I embraced it, and I’m glad for all the opportunities I’ve gotten living here. Just imagine all the people I would’ve never met or the things I never would’ve done. Moving has taught me how to shift my way of thinking. With a new viewpoint, I welcome change and see it as a good thing. All of these things have shaped me and made me into who I am today. There’s a reason why I’m here and why things happen to us within our lives. I believe that we can benefit from these experiences by accepting them instead of living life regretting them.