Yakima, Washington. Where even is that? I’d only ever heard about this city because of the show iCarly and even she didn’t want to move there! I bet it’s in the middle of nowhere too. Who would want to move to Washington? Why would I want to leave the wonderful California just to move up to somewhere where it’s cold?
Fourteen-year-old me could not comprehend why on earth my parents would want to move us to a whole other state. I was leaving behind all my friends, my favorite cousins and all the amazing memories I had made.
I was certain I would hate living in Washington; I hated change. But the moment I stepped into our new apartment, I began to understand why we moved and the days to come would shape me into who I am today and who I hope to become in the future.
I grew up in Los Angeles California. Fancy right? That’s where people go to get famous, that’s where Hollywood is, It’s the destination for fame. But honestly there's a whole lot more to it.
Los Angeles Isn't what all the movies make it out to seem, not when you’re poor anyway. I grew up with immigrant parents making it hard for them to find decent jobs to support themselves and their 3 children.
We had to find ways to make ends meet even sometimes going as far as going out in the streets and picking up any aluminum cans or plastic bottles- sometimes even digging through trash- and collecting them so we could go to our local recycling center and sell them to make some extra cash.
I was too young to see it but we were struggling to even pay for rent when we were living in LA. We lived in a small 1-bedroom rental home in the ghetto, I had to share a room with both my siblings while my parents slept in the living room. This was normal for me because many of my friends had the same living situations. So, I didn’t really see just how bad it was.
Fast forward to when I was 14 and moved to Yakima, Washington. I didn’t know it then but this big move would really open my eyes and help me decide what I wanted for my future.
Life was much easier now. The rent was cheaper and it provided a much more comfortable living situation for us. My parents were able to find jobs working in the fields and that alone was enough to lower our stress about money. I also began to understand how hard it was for my parents back when we were living in LA.
I don't know if it came with age or simply seeing both my parents come home from work tired and dirty from being out in the fields under the hot sun all day, but I realized how important it was for me to succeed and be able to provide for my parents in the future. This ended up being one of the biggest factors that helped me become the hard-working person I am today and overall shaped who I want to be.
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