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Personal Essay

My life has been uprooted. This isn’t a tragedy, but it is an experience. As I sit in class, all of my belongings are sitting quietly in storage, waiting to join me on this journey from a small town on the coast of Oregon to a huge city in Washington. I am not used to living life with so much happening around me, with so many people living in one city. Even if moving isn’t a unique occurrence, I would like to share what my experience has been like; from taking care of myself and my cat, to trying to integrate myself into a new life. 

The original plan was to drive to Seattle on a Sunday, stay in a hotel that night, and then the apartment would close (transfer ownership from the original owner to my mom) on Monday. This did not happen. As I am writing this, we are still staying in a hotel because the closing date keeps moving because the bank is having trouble sorting things out. This is very difficult to deal with because we are not only trying to take care of ourselves; we also have two dogs and a cat to worry about. The dogs are easy, but my cat, Mcfly, is very anxious. Luckily he was prescribed some medication that will help with that. He is such a kind and loving cat, and I am very worried about what this move is going to do to him emotionally. Mcfly really enjoys trying to hunt down bugs, and he loves to eat treats. I care about him very much, and I am sure he will be alright. 

Although I have only been going to school in person for a week, I have already made some new friends. Yesterday, my mom wasn’t able to pick me up until 4:30, which is two hours after school ends. I thought I was going to be sitting alone doing homework during that time, but I was happy that my new friends invited me to sit in the garden with them. I am so excited to learn more about them and about what it’s like to live in Seattle. So far, my impression of life in Seattle is that it’s very comforting. For example, just yesterday I walked to a cafe to do homework which I have never done before. Being able to walk to get food nearby and take public transportation is new for me.

Update

Good news! My mom and I have officially moved into the new apartment. We now live in Queen Anne, and my cat, Mcfly, is feeling so much better. Our belongings are still in Coos Bay, 7 hours away from here, so I am sleeping on an air mattress. As a house warming present to ourselves, my mom and I got five plants to fill the apartment with a feeling of freshness. This week we have been entertaining ourselves by picking out paint colors and daydreaming about how to fill our new space. 

On Wednesday when I didn’t have school, I was invited to go to a picnic with two of my new friends. After the picnic, we walked to Pike Place Market and then to Pioneer Square. In the end, we walked around two miles, and it was a lot of fun. I loved walking  to a new place and discovering things I have never seen before. 

Recently, after school, my mom and I got bubble tea and then visited Volunteer Park. We had never had bubble tea until we came here, and she is obsessed. I really enjoy spending time with her after school and exploring new places. Every time we go somewhere new, my mom says, “Maybe this will be our new favorite place.” Her positivity and open heart has really made this move easier on me while we start our new chapter in Seattle. I look forward to starting fully in-person at Northwest next fall!

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