It started like an ordinary day, the day that changed my life for ever. This is how the day started:

As I laid on my bed the Monday morning I woke up thinking about the day I would have there was a sudden excitement that filled inside me and then it was drained out by my mom's enthusiastic screech.“Sonia wake up!”

“I'm up already.” I replied while walking sluggishly towards the bathroom.

As I dress myself I have a sudden feeling of what seems like gratitude. What a weird day I think to myself.













***

On the bus my best friend Lizzie asks “Are you ready for the test today?”

“What test?” I question with a trace of doubt in my voice.

“ Please tell me you didn't forget. Mrs.Sugarbottom always assigns an English test on Monday.” Lizzie informs while slapping her hand on her forehead.

“ I thought she said that she would cancel it today.” I tell her.

“ Yeah, and I say that god is going to appear on the Earth.” She replied sarcastically.














***

I entered in the class shaking. As I sat down in my usual seat I prepared for my doom.

“ Good morning class. Today we will not have the test. Instead we will have to recite a personal experience that you think is important to you and that has impacted your life one way or another. As usual, we will start from the top of the list all the way to the bottom.” informed Mrs. Sugarbottom

“Sonia will start us off.”she added.

It was not much better compared to the test; in fact, I think I would have rather taken the test.


As I make my way to the front of the room, and find a place to make myself comfortable, I see the laser like eyes beaming at me.

I gulp and softly and started. “ I...um ...would.....um like to tell you about.....”

There staring at the white board I see the scenes of my classroom in India. Then I boldly start by saying “I would like to tell you about an unforgettable journey I had. The day it started was an ordinary day. It was when my mom called me in the living room to tell me about an important decision my family had taken.”

“ Sonia your father and I need to talk to you. We have planned to move to a place that is filled with -”

“Where is it ?” I asked cutting my mom short. In my mind I had already made a list in my mind
1)France 2) Switzerland 3) England..............................10) the United States my last choice.

“As I was saying we are going to move to the United States,” my mom told me in the calmest voice she owned. I was astonished, I mean why can't we go to a place that sounds much more cooler.

“Okay then.” I replied solemnly while trying to hold my tears back.

As I turned to leave, the biggest shock of my life revealed itself.

“ Your dad has to go there for some reason and until then we have to get ready for the United States embassy it's a place where a certain person takes your test to see if you are eligible to go to the United States.” My mom informed rather calmly.

I had so much to say, but at that time sorrow had filled my soul. I was as melancholy as a mother who had lost her infant baby. The thing that made me even more upset was that my dad was going to a completely different world and leaving us behind in darkness. Then I saw my adored sister , Sarah, making her way to my dad. How could I fall apart in front of her? I had to be strong, I had to pull my self together.

After six months of preparing and paper work, it was time to attend our interview at the the United States embassy. There was so much money involved too, I bet that this was a place that robbers would come to. The line was so big that after more than six hours of waiting it was finally our turn.
The lady there was extremely friendly and we were approved!

I had mixed feeling about this. The pros were that I would be reuniting with my dad after half a year and I would be starting a whole new life. The cons were that I would miss my relatives, my friend, and my school-well not really school.

The next part was packing and good- byes-two of the most difficult things about moving abroad. First, I had to go to school and announce that I was leaving to a whole new country. To make the good – bye even more difficult my teacher made the whole class make me cards, and asked me to take an autograph of each teacher. I thought that the day would never get over.

When I got home,mom mom told me to call all my best friends and tell them that I would be leaving in two days. After all of the packing it finally came to and end. It was time to say good-bye to the glitter in the sky above that used to guide me through difficult times. It was time to say farewell to the grassy lands of the villages and the snowy tops of the Himalayas, and also to the scent of flowers I used to wake up to, and now they will be gone, vanished just like that.

Then after getting checked inside the airport, we were inside a bus that would take us to the aircraft waiting outside. As we boarded the craft I took my final look at the beauty of India. I for the last time inhale the musty smell of the dirt that covers India.

As we start to land, I hear a very distinct voice calling out loud “I don't want to put my belt on!” Of course it was Sarah complaining.

Then I asked my mom “ Is this it?”

“Yes, Sonia Yes.” she replied in an unclear voice.

Then I understood that I was not the only one who had cried on the plane.





***

“There he is!” I yell.

“I saw him first!” yells Sarah.

“No, I did!”

“ Let's not fight about who saw your dad first lets go to him.” replied our always wise mother to our unruly ruckus.

“ But I saw him first.” Sarah insists.

“ Okay. you did.” I reply trying to duplicate my mom's actions.















***

As my dad put our luggage in the car, I stared at the black blanket that was spread across the morning sky like the sunshine was mad at me then I wondered if I should stop sulking and go on with life. If I don't, my life would be as unclear as the thick fog on a cloudy night and become like a blanket I can't get over. My thought were interrupted by my screaming sister being as impatient as a jaguar waiting for its prey in the vast jungle.

After one month of settling in, getting rid of the jet lack I was finally ready for school. I was in third grade at that time, and met my first best friend Hannah, but in fifth grade I had to say good-bye to her, since she move to New York. Then I learned an important thing. Friends come and go, but family always stays together.














***

“That was the journey we had with some ups and downs, with some pros and cons, but isn't that what life is about?” I informed my fellow classmates. As I finished my story,it was followed by ear deafening claps of my classmates.

“Thank you.” I tell them.

As I return to my seat I wink at Lizzie and kept the crescent moon like smile planted on my face the whole day

That was a truly fantastic day, wasn't it? That day I learned that if you know and believe in yourself you can reach unstoppable height. That day was my first day in middle school and it turned out to be one of the most unforgettable first days I have ever had.