I dedicate this book to my Mom. She is my biggest supporter and biggest role model.

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/ai3x2vnxrjaq

Author's Note

Dear reader,

I hope this book shows you how you can overcome any challenge you face. With time and patience you will be able to accomplish anything you set your mind to. With the help and support of others you will be able to do a lot more than you would think. My personal connection to this story was in elementary school we had the opportunity to learn Spanish and it allowed native Spanish speakers to feel more welcomed and included. There was a student who didn't speak much english and who was very isolated. But by the of the school year he spoke and understood english better and had improved his social skills. With the proper resources every English Language Learner has the opportunity to succeed.

I’ve been counting down the days until I go to America. I miss my cousins, aunts, uncles and my grandparents. I’m excited to get to live with them for the first time. We are leaving tomorrow.

My mom wakes me up very early and tells me it’s time to go. I look around my room and start to feel sad. I’m going to miss my friends and the place I called home for the past 8 years.

Our plane finally lands and I see white snowflakes falling from the sky. The lady who works on the plane starts speaking & my Mom has to translate for me. She tells me it’s 15 degrees in NYC and welcome to the Big Apple. We are both confused by this & start to gather our things.

We start walking out of the airport and I see my cousin Jose. It has been two long years since I last saw him in the Dominican Republic. He comes running over and gives us a big hug and kiss. We pile into his car and head to our new home.

We arrive at a small apartment and start to unload our things. As I’m looking at these tall buildings surrounding me, I ask my mom “Where is the sand?” My mom tells me there is grass and concrete instead. I begin to wonder how different this place is.

I wake up the next morning nervous for my first day at my new school. I didn’t get much sleep last night and my heart is racing.

I'm so nervous!

When we get there I see all these people outside this massive building. My mom walks me into school and I see all these people looking at me with a confused look on their face. I feel like I stick out in a bad way.

My teacher is talking to my mom in a language I don’t understand. She directs me to my seat and I look around. The classroom is so different from my last school. It’s so much bigger and nicer.

Some students begin to crowd around me. I can’t figure out what they are saying but I see them pointing and hear the laughter growing. My teacher then walks over and makes the students go back to their seats. The day feels never ending as I try to make sense of it all.