Personal Narrative: My First Big Move

Part1Episode:
After my eighth birthday, my mother informed me we were moving to Seoul, Korea. I could barely spell that and I was going to be living there for three years. I was not sold on the idea, but I figured time would fly by.
Getting ready for the big move was the most exciting part. I visited my extended family in North Carolina a lot before the move and they were really emotional. My friends were the exact opposite, they bombarded me with questions I could not answer and were really excited when I brought cupcakes on the last day of school. I guess the concept of never seeing me again never crossed any of my friends’ minds. Later on, I packed up my entire house and moved into an apartment in Washington, D.C. until we would finally

leave.
Before I knew it, I was on a fourteen-hour flight to the Pacific. When I arrived at Inchon airport I was baffled, I had never seen so many Koreans let alone Asians in one place. I would find strangers glancing at my long course hair that my mom insisted on putting in puffy pigtails. I don’t know who was more intrigued.

We settled in fairly quickly, we lived off the military base, but a lot of other military families lived there as well.

It was like I was in a different universe. The streets were congested with cars, the air was full of smoke, and nothing was in English. I did not know where to begin my adjustment process.
Part 2 Effect:
The effect of this move on me was profound. It would be one of the defining moments in my personal development. Again, this was my first big move, and it was to another country. I was so grateful for the opportunity to start somewhere new, that I did not consider what I was leaving behind. For example I never considered, leaving my friends, family, and the United States in general. I assumed everything would just work itself out, like everything else in my life.

Before the move, I was outgoing, well-mannered, slightly self-centered, and always looking to what was ahead of me. I was not perfect by any means, but overall a happy child. Then the move happened and things changed, slowly, but definitely not for the better. An adequate description of myself at the time would include well-mannered, submissive, shy, and emotional. Now none the latter traits are necessarily undesirable traits. They were just not ones I was used to

feeling.

My personality did a complete turnover and my self-esteem had plummeted. At the time I thought I became the worst possible version of myself, I attached a negative connotation to all my new traits. My behavior made me feel isolated from everyone because I assumed no one would want to be friends with the shy, quiet girl. I completely gave up on myself because if I did not like myself, who would. I was severely uncomfortable with my surroundings and because of that almost every part of my life was affected.

Due to the personality change, I could not make friends even though it came so easy for me in the past. Most times at recess I would play by myself with my rock collection. School became difficult because I was afraid to ask questions, for fear of being judged. My entire self-efficacy was down. The move was a trying time in my life, but also made me into the person I am today.