(Change) My New Home

            I moved home during my sophomore year of high school. I left behind the sun shining like a diamond. I came home to the snow falling like a thick blanket. It was so cold I froze instantly. I felt like a bird flying the wrong way, lost in the thick fluffy snow. I felt like this had been a mistake that I was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. I missed the sun shining bright and the life of the city as you walked out the door. California was what I was used to, the place I had been brought up. I didn’t know what to expect from my new life.

            “Hey Emmy!” My brother Adam grinned. “How have you been?! I’ve missed you!”

            “Hey Adam. I’m good. The flight was long, and the layover took forever. Otherwise, I’m good. How are you? I’ve missed you so much; I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since I’ve seen you!” I replied while giving him a huge hug.

            “Are you ready to be back here? In all this snow! It’s been a long time since you’ve seen snow hasn’t it?” he asked.

            “Yeah, I don’t think I’ve seen real snow since I was little and we lived here.” I replied while looking outside smiling.

            Michigan was my true home, but it was a drastic change for me. I moved from the sun shining while riding around in my friend’s Jeep with the top off, to wearing winter clothes and boots. I felt lost and like I didn’t belong. I knew I had to start school that next Monday, and I felt like a bird migrating in the wrong direction. I left the city behind me and looked toward the country life. It was a real cultural shock, when we finally made it to Grayling. The town was dead, and there was limited shopping. I looked up distinguished an unusual bird perched on the light post; I wondered what it was doing sitting there. Granted the snow had stopped falling but it was still freezing outside, it should have been flying south with all of its friends and family. I couldn’t help but think that it was out of place and lost, like I felt. I wanted to try and save the bird and help it through the winter, but when I looked up again the bird was gone. I felt confused and slightly sad to think of the poor bird, but I knew if it had stayed it would fight and make it through. We got to my grandma’s shortly after we left town and I felt home, like I was in the right place and moving home was the right decision.

            That bird chose to stay even though it was in the wrong place. It stayed to try and make it where it felt safe, it was the birds’ home. I felt like I could make it through this change, and everything would work out. I felt like this change was going to be the best decision, we had made in a long time.

            “Emmy, are you glad your home now? It must be weird but it must feel nice.” Grandma asked me.

            “You know what grams, it’s nice to be home, it feels weird being here but yet it feels right. I’m glad to be home and with my family again.” I replied with an optimistic smile.