Monologue

I hung up the phone. I couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of my mom’s mouth. The life I had grown accustomed to would now change. Walks along the beaches of Puerto Rico would now turn into sleepless nights in the busy streets of Times Square. Traffic free zones would now be filled with bus stops on every few blocks. Endless summers would now experience snow. It took me a while to get used to the Spanish culture that everyone around me shared. That’s why I was shocked to hear that I now had to move. I had to leave the place I called home, meet new people, learn a new language, and start all over.
I didn’t understand the decisions of my parents back then, but I trusted them to know what was best for me. They thought it was in my best interest to learn English in one of the most successful cities in the world, New York. However, in order to continue giving me a good life, they had to stay in Puerto Rico and manage their Chinese restaurant.
Every few years, I had to move back to Puerto Rico in order to ensure I wasn’t forgetting Spanish. I moved quite a lot while my parents decided whether to keep me in one place or the other. Finally their confusion settled and their decision was to sell the restaurant and move to New York with me. I was glad I didn’t have to travel anymore, but I realized that I didn’t have a solid relationship with anybody, not even with my parents. In all those years of moving from one place to another, I lost the bond I once had with my dad. The only times I ever spoke to him were when he asked how my grades were or if he lectured me for doing something wrong. He never seemed to show concern for my personal life. I knew that education was the key in life, but he’d never let me forget it.
All those years, I felt like I wasn’t living up to his expectations of me. That is where my determination to strive to the fullest came from. Becoming successful in what I chose to do would not only make him proud, but it would show that I was capable of doing it my way, not his.
Moving here has given me the opportunity to be a part of so many things I never imagined. I find myself lucky to have been able to be experience two very different places. When I first find out I had to move, I felt like the walls were crashing down on me. I thought about how much I hated change, but now when I look back, I’m thankful for this experience. I have found people who make me wonder how I possibly lived this long without them. Don’t get me wrong, I miss the life I had back then and I’ll never forget the memories that came along with it, but one thing I have learned from this whole thing is to never neglect what life has to offer you and to always be ready for what it has in store for you next.