My Family

I realize how lucky I am of having a family. There are a lot of divorced parents all over the world with suffering kids, but I still have both of my parents and my little brother. Like every couple they fight and all, but they are still together.

I feel kind of sad when I see divorced parents. They separate their kids or they take turns. I think that is harsh. I mean, who wants to choose between one of their parents? Well there are people that don't care and go with the parent that has more money or that treats him or her better or something. I don't think it's right to choose between the two persons that you love the most.

There are many kids that get very depressed and their personality changes totally. Some of them get so depressed that they prefer to die and they commit suicide. That is very sad...My dad's parents got divorced and it affected him a lot. He doesn't accept it but he shows it. That's why I get so scared when my parents fight; I don't want them to divorce or something. I really care about both of them and I don't want to end like my dad. I don't want to be sad my whole life because of my parents. Unfortunately I am one of the girls that take the simplest stuff seriously.

Now that Thanksgiving passed I am very thankful of having a family. I love my little brother a lot and I really care about him. I fight quite a lot with him, but he knows that I love him even though sometimes I am not very nice to him...We both know that I care about him and he corresponds me showing his love to me.

Now that Thanksgiving passed I noticed how lucky I am. I have a mom and a dad that love me and that care about me. There are many kids in the world without parents or with careless parents that suffer because of them. I have everything that I need and I am very thankful.

From Only Child to Old Sister

When I was six years old I was still an only child. My parents weren't thinking of having another baby or anything but I was desperate! I wanted a little brother or sister, I didn't care. I just wanted somebody to be with. My parents told me that if I prayed for a little baby brother every night it might happen. I prayed every night when my mom went to my bed and said,

"Good night sweet heart. Sleep well"

I felt very lonely. I mean it's cool that your parents give you everything you want and all, but what's the point if you don't have someone to play with. My parents sometimes played with me, specially my mom, but I wanted something else.

Finally one day my mom couldn't take me to school because she was going to the doctor. I didn't pay much attention to it. My day went normally until I got home and my mom had great news. I had no inkling what she was going to say.

"Hi honey. How was school today?" she said happily.
"Fine. Today one girl told me jerk just because I had a better grade," I said quite lackadaisical.
"Oh honey. Don't pay attention to her," she said trying to cheer me up a little.
"Okay. But what happened? Why are you so happy?" I said trying to change the converstation.
"Oh well honey. I have great news for you. I'm having a baby!" she finally said.

I was totally shocked. Finally I would have a new baby brother or sister!

"Ahhhhhhh!" I shouted.

I was so excited!

"Is it a boy or a girl?" I said with a profuse joy.
"I don't know yet honey. We have to wait a little," she replied.

I would finally have a brother or sister! After six years there will be a new little person in the family. The next day I told everyone that I was going to have a little brother or sister. I was so excited. I was going to embark a new level in my life. I was going to be an old sister! Five months passed quickly and we discovered that I was going to have a baby brother. We were all happy.

I remember that one day we were thinking about my brother's name.

"Sebastian?" my mom said.
"Ehh...maybe," my dad replied not too convinced.
"What about Nicolas? My dad said
"Nah," my mom and I said at the same time.
"What about Santiago?" my mom proposed.
"Yeah. It is nice. Do you like it dad?" I asked
"Yeah. It is nice," he said.
"So Santiago it is," my mom finally said.

Santiago Mesa Rodriguez, the name of my new baby brother.

When the time came my mom was in the hospital and my dad and I were waiting for Santiago. Santi has been an audacious boy since he was in my mom's womb. He pooped inside! He almost died in there. If he ate it he would die, but thank Goodness he didn't and now he's with us.

When he was born, the first time I saw him, I was so happy...He was perfect! He was kind of shubby, hairy, and the doctor said he was the biggest and heaviest baby born in that hospital! He was very big. I didn't care, he was my brother and I loved him. When I carried him in my arms for the first time I looked at him, at his little face and I just touched his delicate skin. I know I depict him a lot but I was so excited when I saw him...

When we took him home everyone was fascinated. He was so cute and so cheerful. He slept most of the day, but he slept with serenity. When I came from to school I always passed through my brother's bedroom and looked at him while he slept.

To be concise I loved him and cared about him a lot. I still do, but now he has his personality and he is not so inoscent...He still loves me and I know he also cares about me.

Good-bye

I hate saying good-bye. Today I remembered when my best friend in Venezuela moved to Bogota, Colombia. She is called Katia. She's actually from Mexico and we met before we both moved to Venezuela. It's kind of a crazy story.

My dad was transferred from Mexico to Venezuela, where I was born. When we arrived there my mom told me that a new girl was moving too. Her dad worked in the same company as my dad and she had my same age! That was such a coincidence...Well she became by best friend and we were in the same grade in the same school. She was my best friend. Like you know I'm quiet and timid so it is very difficult for me to make new friends. She helped me a lot making new friends. I don't know what I would've done without her... We both played the same sports, except soccer (I hate soccer), and we were both smart.

Everything went right until my dad told me that we were moving to Saudi Arabia. I know what you think. I am supposed to talk about her moving, not me, but everything was so tricky and I have to tell you about this. I was shocked because we were used to live there and we had our friends and in Saudi it was totally different. Women couldn't show their entire face, just her eyes and they couldn't drive. Women couldn't do anything! My mom was also perplexed because she was always able to drive, and now she would just be on the "camps" (houses gathered together) doing nothing. She hates doing nothing. Well everyone told us that we were moving so I opened my big mouth and told Katia, a big mistake...

She started to cry. I messed it all up and I wasn't suppose to live in about two months. At the end I wasn't leaving. My dad got another job and we stayed. Now Katia was the one leaving! I tried to look normally but I was also shocked. I would loose my best friend... They were moving in July or so. When the day of saying good-by came I thought it wouldn't happen like in my case. I didn't want her to go...I felt really sad and kind of lonely when she left. I hate saying good-bye.

At the end I also leaved about five months later, in December. I moved here to Panama. When I first came here to search our home and school before it was too late. I came here one week in November and passed through Bogota! I ended visiting Katia in Colombia. She totaly changed, but at least she continued to be my friend. She still liked the stuff that we both liked before she moved and she kept writing to me. We are still talking by facebook and msn, but we are now in separate places. I still miss her, but I can also cisit her. I think it is easier to leave than to say good-bye.

Finally Done

Today I remembered my trip in North Carolina. My dad just finished an MBA (Master of Business Administration) in Duke University so we traveled for his graduation. He was so busy... He almost didn't pass time with us and he traveled even more even tough he brought cool souvenirs.

North Carolina was quite cold for me, but I am kind of used to it because I've been several times in Bogota, Colombia and the temperature it's about the same. The university's campus was huge! We even had to use a map. It had the East Campus and the West Campus. We were staying in the David Thomas Center, a place where the people that do their MBA's by Internet stay for some time, like my dad.

My dad received his homework, assignments, and tests through Internet and send them back on certain time. His teachers send them the videos of each of the classes so that my dad could watch them on time or he would miss class. He practically does everything with the computer, but he also has to travel. The people of Duke want their students to experience other cultures so my dad traveled to many parts of the world such as Dubai, China, and Turkey. He brought us souvenirs from everywhere.

I noticed that my dad worked really hard in there. He had to work and to study and he was expected to do well on both! Do you know how difficult that is? When we got there, in North Carolina, my dad kept on studying but at least it was less work and we "passed time together" (my mom, my brother and I walked around the campus and traveled in the city while my dad was studying).

At the end my dad accidentally missed class so we passed that entire day with him. Finally some family time. I'm very thankful because he finally finished, and now he has a little bit more time with us. He' keeps traveling and working but now he passes weekends with us. On weekends we play golf together even though I don't like it much but I try to have some family time. Now he has time to watch some T.V. and even to talk to me peacefully, not in a hurry or with stress. He's now back to real life. Thank Goodness he finished.

Back to Venezuela

My dad works in a oil company so we're always moving everywhere. We have been lucky because we haven't moved outside of Latin America, even though we know it won't last much longer. Since I was a baby I've moved often. At age six we finally settled in Mexico. We lived there six entire years! That is very uncommon in my dad's company. We were very used to live in Villahermosa, Mexico. We all liked Villahermosa's affable environment and the people's kindness.

I remember the day when my dad told me that we were moving back to Venezuela. I didn't know how to react. Do I had to cry? Do I had to smile and hug my dad with joy? I didn't do either of them. I just stayed there looking at him siriously and perplexed. I started to ask him questions of Venezuela. Where are we moving? Is it nice? Where can we live? I kept on asking even the stupidest questions over and over. I sounded quite irascible. My dad was excited but kind of pissed up because of all my questions, but still he answered them. We were moving in June 30, 2006. I clearly remember that date. The day after my dad told me was kind of weird for me because I knew I wouldn't last longer in this school. I've been in the same school since I moved there.

The fact that I was leaving and that I couldn't tell anybody haunted me and made me feel that this week was interminable. Everything remainded me that I was leaving like the change in uniforms and the supplies list for next year. My teachers already knew it, but my friends didn't and I couldn't tell them until my dad would let me. We cannot tell anybody that we are leaving untill we know there's no way that we are staying, we have to be really sure. My teachers didn't give me all of new stuff for next year which made me feel like if I was a recluse...

At that time I was about nine I didn't hold secrets for a long time. I couldn't resist the urgence of telling someone that I was leaving until I opened my big mouth. The first person that I talked to about this was one of m friends, not my best friend but one of my good friends. pI felt profound peace when I told her; I calmed my urgency now. She said she already knew, but I wasn't sure about that. I know my mom talked a lot with her mom, but I didn't think that she will tell her that. I almost entreated her to don't tell anybody because no one was supposed to know that until the end of the school year or so. She agreed, but soon I knew she couldn't hold secrets long too.

Two days after I told her someone came to me and said,

"Are you leaving?"

I didn't know what to say

"Uhmm, yes but please don't tell anybody," I said.

Five seconds after I talked to that girl I knew I did the wrong thing...That thought reverbrated in my head the whole week. At the end everyone knew I was leaving. At the begining I tried to take my mom's sage advice, don't pay attention to everyone and just continue normally but everyone just pushed it so that could tell them everything. I didn't know that my best friend was so despondent because I was leaving until I sat with her one day at lunch. She didn't talk much and I asked her why.

"I'm just sad...You know, you are m best friend and you are leaving. What do I do now? I will be alone and you know I don't have a bunch of friends..."

I don't know what to say. She was so honest with me...I felt like if I could cry. Sometimes I abhor moving so much because I have to start all over again and it's very difficult to me.

"You know it is not as simple for me, I am the one that have to start all over. I have to make new friends, to get used to the country, to the people and all. I will miss you a lot. But at least we can talk by messenger," I said trying to make her feel a little better.

She didn't have a sad face anymore but not a happy face either. I knew she understood what I meant and that is one of the reasons she was my best friend, she understood me perfectly.

When I got home the same day I had to tell my mom that everyone knew that we were leaving... She didn't react badly. I thought she would make a tirade or something but I think she knew that I wouldn't resist long enough. She knows me perfectly.

The day came faster than what I thought, unfortunately. The day before I slept in my best friend's new house so she offered us to take us to the airport. My best friend's sad face impelled me to don't leave even though I knew that wasn't possible. We hugged each other for the last time. I was very sad becasue I was leaving but in the other and I was kind of excited because I was traveling to my home country. I didn't remember that I had to make new friends and that I was going to have new school and stuff, maybe that's why I wasn't so sad.

We finally arrived at Maturin, Venezuela. I thought it was going to be a fantastic place but it wasn't to be honest. It is a small city with also a small population. At that time I didn't care because where we were going to live was quite nice. We had to stay in a hotel until our stuff arrived from Villahermosa. I was happy in the Staunffer Hotel until mom told me that we, my brother Santiago and me, were going to start school soon. Everything happy ended there. My mom aldo told me that another girl , Katia, of my same age was coming too! Her dad works on the same company as my dad.

The worst day finally came. The first day of school was terrible for me...When my mom was took us to ISM, International School of Monagas, our new school I felt so nervous...I think my tremulous arms made Katia know that I was vey nervous and scared. I missed my old best friend a lot, even though I had my new friend. I thought she could help me to make new friends easier. Well, I finally settled there for two and a half years, but that's another story.