From East to Mid-West

             “We’re moving, to Minnesota,” my parents told me one day.  I didn’t believe them, and when our realtor put the sign out, right after Christmas, it was starting to sink in.

            I lived in East Aurora, New York.  Population, 6,673.  I was in Dr. John’s class, in 5^th grade.  It was the best teacher to get, I was told and I was so lucky.  Well, my luck was running out.  My dad was the assistant to the bishop, and my mom sometimes had a job as a substitute teacher.  My dad hated his job; it was too stressful for him.  It turned his hair white.  I tried, unsuccessfully, to convince my parents to stay.  Moving only happened on T.V., not in real life, and definably not to us. 

            We sold our house, and bought a new one, here in Minnesota.  Ironically, my last day was on Valentine’s Day.  My last memory of my friends was that my guy friends and my gal friends wouldn’t sit together, even for me. 

            It was a cold Feb. 15^th.  Some of my friends gave me cards, or notes. I hid them to be able to read later.  I didn’t want to think about moving. We drove for a day, my mom, dad, dog, hamster and brother until we came to our new house.  It took an hour to get inside because the old owners had a different key for every door.  We got in and slept on our living room floor.  The movers showed up many days behind schedule.  My first day of school was a Wednesday, sometime before spring break.  I remember being so afraid because I didn’t know anyone or where the bathroom was.  In New York I was average height, here I’m really short.  I remember bursting out in tears one day because I wanted to go home to my real home, back in New York.

            There is a happy part to my story though.  I had friendship problems back in my old town.  Here was a place to make a fresh start.  I met many new friends, many of them brave enough to talk to me.  My old classes were easy, but now I was challenged.  Before we had left, my dad had gotten a call from Atonement Lutheran church, and he loves it there.  My mom found a job doing what she loves most, teaching history.  I found one of my old friend’s numbers, and we still keep in touch.  Every time I think of East Aurora and start craving Buffalo wings ( J) it makes me sad, but it also makes me happy to think of how many opportunities I would have been missing if I hadn’t moved.