Chapter+2

Chapter 2 August 1, 2003 Dear Journal,

This feels so weird writing down how I’m “feeling”. My parents bought me this pretty cool book to write in. They thought it would help me with our move. They also said I would want to remember this experience one day. Yes, our move. My dad found a new job in New York City. We’re leaving the town I grew up in for a better opportunity they say. We’re also moving back to where my parents are from, so my mom can be closer to grandma. She is getting older and needs more help from us. I always wished I could see grandma more, and now I can! I grew up in Arkansas. My parents moved here before I was born, because it had a job my dad really wanted to do. Here we have a nice, two-story house, two cars, and a backyard with a swing set. My school is right down the street. All of the kids here are really nice. They are just like me. I have lots of friends and we always go to each others house. sometimes we have our parents bring us to the mall or to the movies. We also like to play paint ball with each other or play basketball at school. We also have a dog named Rocket and I have two Siamese fighting fish, Salt and Pepper. Mom says all of the animals can come with us. She also said life is going to be a little different in New York City. I asked her why and she said, New York City is a very diverse area. You’re going to meet all kinds of people with different backgrounds. She explained to me that something terrible had happened there recently. I was only eleven when September 11th happened. I remember my parents watching the news ALL THE TIME. It was like that’s all that was going on in the world. It seemed really sad that so many people died. It kind of made me mad that these bad people did this and we couldn’t stop it. My parents told me I would probably meet a lot of kids who know someone that died there, and I should be sensitive to it. Sensitive? What was that suppose to mean. I wasn’t going to make fun of them or anything. It has been almost two years since then. Life goes on, right?

Anthony

August 30, 2003

This really stinks. It’s the last night in the house I grew up in. My parents had a big party this week and all of my friends came. We even had a chef come and we got a big tent! All of my friends thought it was sooo cool. I was sad to leave them today, but I am sure I will be lots of new kids. My new neighborhood will be Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. My parents showed me where we are moving and it is so different. The houses are super close, we have a tiny back yard, and I’m going to have to take a bus to school! I am kind of nervous, but I am sure I will make new friends. Here we go eighth grade!

Anthony