Sorry

As time moves and the years keep changing, we always are able to see ourselves turn a year older. Although I’m pretty young at the age of 14 I’ve still seen my life had its ups and downs over time. From the highs to the lows everyone has a story to tell, and this is my story.

I was born on April 26, 2004 in Pembroke Pines, Florida. I’ve spent my whole life so far in Florida and have grown accustomed to the culture here. Until I was 2 years old I lived in Pembroke Pines in my great-grandma’s house until my parents could afford a house. Right before we moved into our first house in Hialeah, my brother Diego was born on May 12, 2006. We moved to our apartment where we lived for about 2 years. In that time, I started going to Pre-K and did Kindergarten and 1st grade. In the middle of 1st grade, we moved from Hialeah to Miramar, where I currently live. I started 2nd grade in Coral Cove and went there until 5th grade, since I had to go to middle school. I went to Glades Middle School for all of my time and stayed there. Now, I’m here.

Along the way, there were some sad moments. Probably the worst one for me was when I was 9 years old and my great-grandma passed away. She was my only ancestor as my grandparents from my mom’s side both died and my grandparents on my dad lived in Colombia and I rarely saw them. She was a major part of my life as she taught me many lessons like she did for my mom when she was growing up. Grandmis was what I always called her and what we always remember her as. Unfortunately, she was having some health problems, and it seemed her time was done. That December, she passed away at the age of 87. It affected the whole family, with all of us coming together to remember her. That’s still one of the saddest moments I experienced in my life, and while she’s dead her legacy lives on for all of us.

While there were some negatives, there were also many positives. When I started 8th grade there was one field trip I wanted to do: the Washington DC field trip. It took some convincing to my mom since it was very expensive and I’d be gone for quite a while. However, she accepted, making me really excited. I had a group of friends all going as well as others that I was excited to see, and it remains one of the best experiences I’ve had. We went to many national monuments and fun places, making the best of everything. Even after we got snowed in for a full day, we still had a lot of fun making the most of our problem. We did things as simple as playing little games and talking about life. It was a couple of days that’ll stick with me for the rest of my life.

Although I’ve never had a crazy traumatic experience like being forced to leave a country or experience horrific violence, it’s the little things in life that count the most. The small and significant moments are the ones that impact me the most, and they shape me to become who I am. Although I’ve had it “easy” compared to others, there’s still stories in my life, and some that I’ll never forget for as long as I live. I’m grateful for my life and the experiences I’ve had make me the person I am today.