It was the summer of 2016 and I did not have a care in the world, but this was also the day my mom said we were moving. Then it happened -- we were really moving. We were gathering our things. I was shocked when we started throwing stuff away so we could travel lighter. It really set in when I had to give my BB guns and bikes away. We were leaving our small town of Immokalee, Florida to move to Boston, Massachusetts.

In Immokalee, everyone knows everyone. I was known as a vakadon (the word for bad kid in Haitian Creole). I made my name big by stealing small things and robbing bikes and basically doing bad things. I had a little clique made with my friends. We were always up to something. We rode all over town on our bikes causing problems. I was a big fish in a small pond.

It all changed when I moved to Boston. I was now a small fish in a very big pond. I had never traveled far from home before, but whenever I did I would feel homesick. Then we were on our way to Boston on the Greyhound. The farther we went the more anxious I felt. I wasn't feeling myself at that moment. It was like a bad dream. When we were on the Greyhound, we passed by many cities. I had never seen tall buildings before. Everything was new, but the farther we were from home, the less I felt like myself. I was comfortable back home. I knew everyone and knew where everything was. Moving here meant I would have to re-learn where and how things work.

A few days passed and we reached Boston. Walking out of the bus station and going into the city, I saw so many cars and buses. It felt like a movie to me seeing all of this. I saw large boats on piers, seagulls, and some nice cars. I also saw a vast body of water while driving over a bridge.

Summer time came around, and I didn't do anything really. I would go out for walks or I would stay inside watching anime. Summer time soon came to an end. I started my freshman year at Charlestown High. It was massive and I was alone there: no friends, only me. I kept to myself because I didn't know anyone at this school and didn't know who I could trust to have my back. I really didn't talk to anyone. I only talked if someone was asking me something. I didn't stay there for long because we ended up moving to Fall River. While there I met a girl named Wanaya. She was my first friend in Massachusetts and still is to this day. While in Fall River, I made more friends and started coming out of my shell. I started going out of the house more and doing after school activities. I joined JROTC and also played football where I played DN (Defensive End). I felt different.

I ended up moving around alot in Massachusetts, and it was challenging for me. I would have to restart the process of making friends all over again. I hated it. I would have to find my way into having a friendship with new people and getting to know them. Going through these changes helped me a lot though. I learned how to act right in different places and how to talk to people better. It also taught me how to be independent and to survive.

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