By Sandra Lara, November 13, 2019 — I was born in Costa Rica. When I was fifteen I was over there in Costa Rica with my sister and best friends. One day my mom came and told us, “Come on girls! We’re going to the United States, Boston, Massachusetts.” She was already in the United States working so she can send us with legal papers, we came legal. I remember being a little upset because my best friends, my daddy, and my whole life was in Costa Rica. After I got over being upset I got a little excited, I got dressed in a blue dress and little high heels, looking pretty as ever. So then my father took me to the airport and it was a really hard goodbye. I had a connecting flight, when I got to Miami there was a big snowstorm in Boston so they canceled the flight, me and a friend spent our Christmas in Miami Airport.
We finally got to Boston and there was a big snow, I had never seen snow before. My mother was waiting for me with a big coat and big boots, oh my god I couldn’t even breathe. We went home, me only, my sister stayed in Costa Rica. My mom put me to school to learn English, you know A B C, 1 2 3. Then I quit because I didn’t like school and then my sister came to live with us in the United States the next year. We started working and living our lives. I have this big move to thank for the life I live today, it was a huge change that I am glad I had to make.