It all started when I decided to emigrate to another country and I began to feel the changes in me in each place I passed on that long trip. Everything was different. I didn't know anyone. It was beautiful to be in the middle of change. I began to discover new places and new things and experiences that I had not experienced before. And then I found out about the snow, which doesn't fall in my country. At first, I liked it, but then I didn't because it was very cold and you wouldn’t get much sun in the winter. The cold is harsh and sometimes hurts your body, but it's nice. I like this new change in my life, although I miss my family and friends, but I know that I am here to have a better, new life, help my family, get out of poverty, be someone in life, and have a new life better than what I had before. Maybe one day, I can return to my family, hug them, and spend time with them. It is not easy, but it is possible.

I started studying and right now I don’t think I’m doing so well because it's
hard for me to understand the language. English is something difficult, it makes it very difficult for me to communicate and to do work, but I'm learn-
ing little by little and I have to learn the language no matter what it takes. I'm not going to give up so easily. It doesn't matter if my grades aren’t the best,
I will try hard to learn to understand. What is bothering me is being very far
away without my family and not being able to hug them. It is ugly. It feels
ugly. It is not easy for me. I don’t leave my house, and with my family so far
away, it is difficult for me. But I decided to leave my home country, so I put
up with it and I have to adapt and just call my family when I’m sad.

When I came on the flight, I was nervous because it was my first flight. An
American was sitting next to me and the funniest thing was that he had a
cat hidden next to him. He started talking and I didn't understand him at all
and he just smiled at me and he kept talking to me. I just smiled because I
didn't understand anything he was telling me.

I took a second flight which lasted at least 3 to 4 hours. I no longer felt ner-
vous and I wasn't even afraid, I just enjoyed the flight because I hadn't seen anything so beautiful. The clouds were lower than us and I think, being in
the plane, already fulfilled my first dream when I was little, to be higher than
the clouds. I don't think I will forget that beautiful experience. For me, it was
fantastically beautiful.

© Santos . All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.