At first, the idea of my family and me moving to the United States was fun and exciting. I couldn’t wait for the time for my family and me to leave, get to ride an airplane, eat stateside food such as spam, corned beef, apples, and oranges, and experience the different seasons, especially winter. Because of the excitement of coming to America, I didn’t have the time to think and realize the effects of moving away from home such as missing everything, adopting a different culture, and being independent.
The major effect of moving to a different country, especially moving during my third year of high school, and the most familiar one was missing everything such as family, friends, food, and scenery. Missing my family and friends made it so hard for me that a few days after arriving here; I was already talking to my adopted parents about saving some money for tickets to go back home and stay there until I finished my school. Internet and cellphones weren’t popular then, so my friends and I used to write letters because long distance calls were expensive. Now, we have APPS on our cellphones or magic jack to make free unlimited international calls. Besides missing my family and friends, I also missed the food of the Philippines. Every time I eat a meal, I still have to have rice. I am not really into potatoes or pasta. Furthermore, I missed the vegetables such as bitter melon, horse radish, string beans and winter melon that my family grew in our backyard and farm. My brother and I were considered lucky if we ate fast food once a month, but soon we were eating fast food most of the time. I also miss going to the beach. When we just arrived here in Oregon my mom made a new friend who invited us to go to Red Beach with them. I was so excited that I would see the sunset from the...