The strange and scary faces towered over me, passing me by like I didn’t exist. It was a big day my mother told me, one that I needed to get through with a good impression. She had always taught me to mind my manners, and to treat adults with respect, but most of it was in one ear and out the other. I took sluggish steps into through the big glass doors of Lincoln elementary school, and took a deep breath. The air was stale, and cold, one thing that I would get used to over the next 2 years. “Hurry up! You don’t want to be late honey”, said my mother. Grunting, I took the last few steps to the entrance to room 201. I glanced into the room full of the other kids, who looked about the same as I did, alone, frightened, and bored out of their minds, and behind her desk, sat Mrs. Korniki. Ms. K is better, I thought to myself. Suddenly, I was being pushed from behind and scolded. I had been in a trance and my mother had been patiently waiting for me to enter the classroom. Sheepishly, I walked to the back and took my seat. For half of my first day of kindergarten, I listened to the other kids talk, and play with Lego’s, while I sat and pondered how I was going to make it through a whole year of this. When suddenly, the door closed quietly and Ms. K walked to the front of the class and introduced herself. Immediately, I took a liking to her. She seemed like a nice, patient person, who was easy to talk to, and a huge weight was taken off of my shoulders. Maybe this year won’t be so bad, I thought. After her formal introduction, she passed out books and began to read aloud. The rest of the day melted away with the soothing sound of Ms. K’s voice and her slow reading of Finding Nemo.
The rest of the year was filled with adventure; I made many friends, and read many books, and learned many new things. At Parent conferences, Ms. K would brag about me, boasting to my parents of my great work and my potential. As the fall and winter, turned to summer, my brother and I would venture to our big back yard in northern Michigan, and explore the many mysterious that ourselves would create. One day, after a long walk past the blackberry bushes, we came to an evergreen pine tree. It was beautiful, without a single brown prickle in sight, and we took joy to its sight. I walked around the tree, admiring its beauty, when I saw an entrance on the back side. Slowly, I got on my hands and knees and climbed in. Inside was even more breathtaking. It was a mess of branches and spines that spiraled up and around the interior of the tree. I decided then and there, that this would be my hideout, a place I could go when I was sad or hurt, or excited and adventurous. We giggled with delight and slowly climbed back out, and returned home for dinner. Soon, the summer turned to winter, and a great snow storm hit our town. We were locked inside our room, and waited the snow out, eager to return to the tree. After a long night of freezing cold weather, I awoke to the sound of the oven ringing. I walked outside to the kitchen, were my mother awaited me with homemade, chocolate cookies. I finished the cookies and milk and headed for my jacket. “Be careful out there honey, it’s really cold and slippery. Take tanner with you and stay out of trouble you two.” I agreed and grabbed tanner then ran out into the freezing cold wasteland that the snow had created.

The winter months soon turned into spring. The birds came back, and dew was found on the beautiful green grass every morning. The flowers were blooming and so were the beautiful trees. Our tree fort however, remained the same, green as always. One morning, as I was getting ready for school, Mom came in and sat me down on the bed, and explained something that I didn’t quite understand at the time. “Honey, your father has gotten a better job, and it’s time for us to move on”. She said. She explained how moving worked, and were we were going, and how we were going to get there. She made it seem really easy, and I liked the way she kept calm. Later that day, I asked Tanner about it, and he said it was for the best. He liked the fact of a new adventure, but also explained the downside. “It’s over man,” He said, “ the long days of playing in the tree fort, smoking marshmallows in the backyard, staying up late and watching the snowfall, all of it.” It made me sad, and I ran out to the Tree fort to think about it one last time. The next day, the movers came, and took all of the things mom and dad had been setting up, and put them in the truck. I started to lose my nerve, and I headed out across the yard, through the field, and into the woods to the Tree fort. I cried for a while, but I understood I had to be strong. I said goodbye, promising I would come back and visit from Missouri. Little did I know that the family that moved in next, chopped down the tree for firewood and it died, along with my memories and adventures that were associated with Michigan.
The squealing of tires and the great exhale of the moving truck sounded in my ear as we slowed to a stop in front of our new house in Missouri. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, wanting it all to be a dream. I wanted to wake up, back in our old, Michigan house, feel the cold northern breeze on my face and hide back in the Tree fort, imagining new adventures. But I had to work with what I had. Sighing, I got out of the car and walked through the front door into our new house. My mother led me to my new room, and I sat down on the bed the movers’ drug in. The room was baby blue, and even then I thought it was girly. I got off the bed and walked into the closet, surprised at how big it was. I walked back out and laid on the bed again, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next day school was in session, and I got out of bed, grunting and squinting at the bright light in the room. My mom rushed me into the shower and urged me to eat a good breakfast, and that I needed to be on my best behavior for my first day off first grade. I choked down my breakfast and walked out to the car. It was a ride of silence to Paxton Keeley Elementary School that day, and it wouldn’t be the last. Suddenly, I flashed back to the first day of kindergarten, and I started to sweat, as I remembered the horrors of that first day. I wanted to run and hide, but my mom took my hand and walked me into the building. The first grade hallway was right by the entrance so we walked at a fast pace, trying to be on time on the first day. Our footsteps echoed throughout the hallway and by the time we got to the classroom, everyone was staring at me. I started to sweat profusely, as my teacher led me to my seat in the back by the window. My mom and the teacher, Mrs. McNeil, had a short conversation. She then waved to me and then left. I blushed and some laughter broke out, and then the first day started. I felt claustrophobic, trying to imagine how I was going to make it through 5 years at this school. I was hard at thought when I felt someone trying to get my attention. Irritated, I looked over and a smile met my face. “I’m Adam”, the boy said. “And I’m Troy”, I answered. “Are you new here”, he asked. I nodded and we started talking of recess and his schooling. And Before I knew it, the day was ending, as I started to get up and walked out the door, he said, “We should be friends this year”. I turned around, grinned, and nodded my head.

Together, Adam and I had a great 5 years at Paxton Keeley; we had fantastic adventures and picked up a few friends along the way. The time flew by fast, and suddenly, we were at our graduation ceremony for 5th grade. We put on our big smiles, received some awards, and then ran for the refreshments. I left the school that day feeling better than ever. The move to Missouri suddenly didn’t feel as bad as I had imagined. I had some great friends and a 5th grade diploma to show for it. And I was ready to move into the next phase of my life as a middle schooler.

After summer that year, I had to put on my tough face. People from everywhere were going to be in this new school, and like my mother had always told me, First impressions were everything. I sighed and got out of the car. “Have a great day honey! Make good choices!” echoed throughout my mind as I took my first steps into this new school. “Bottom of the food chain again”, I thought. It was a mixture of welcome signs and new faces that gave me that feeling of starting over again. I walked into the gym where we were appointed to sit, and found my friends from Paxton. We talked and laughed about our summer experiences and dreaded the thought of middle school.

The days and weeks past, and the seasons changed. Middle school was all a big laugh, more work and letter grades for nothing, and we treated it like a joke. Middle school flew by, and we were soon at another graduation ceremony. Smiles and laughs all around, we drank and ate the refreshments, hoping for a longer summer than before. Although on the inside, middle school was the time of our lives, more freedom the elementary and much less work than high school. We still hadn’t known the stress of final, huge projects and honors classes. Middle school was the greatest, and we were completely oblivious to it. Another summer vacation, and another fishing trip later, we were back in school, and this was going to be a long year.

My first day at West Jr. High was centered on one thing. Heat. West Jr. high school was lacking cold air, and the teachers were pilling on the homework, giving out study guides and urging us to pay good attention, all in 90 degree heat. Through the months of August, September, and October, the school was next to unbearable, and my grades didn’t matter at that point, all that did was finding cool air. That year, the first snowfall I had seen since my distant memories of Michigan showed up. I woke up that morning and tears rolled down my face. For once, it felt like home again in Missouri. I grabbed my coat, and blew the dust off of it, then ran out the door. The wintery wonderland before me was just how I had pictured it would be. Snow covered trees and bushes, a grey cloudy day above me, and nothing but white in sight. And for the first time, I smiled and said, “This is home”.

8th grade past and 9th grade came. We became the kings of the school, but nothing had prepared me for the difficulty of the coming year. With the first few months, the heat still lingered, lapping at my skin, never giving me relief until I arrived at my home. The difficulty of classwork and homework increased to a whole new level, and how bad I yearned for the days of middle and elementary school to return, with recess and freedom of difficult exams and finals. I also longed for our return back to quiet, northern Michigan. But this was a challenge I had to face head on. “Impression was everything”, I would tell myself. Give this challenge a bad impression, and it wouldn’t be easy to overcome. I had to give it my best. Because live is full of change, and I had experienced much so far, and I know that there is still much to come.