Dylan (El Salvador, Age 18): English 252

 

Hello my name is Dylan I am 18 years old, I am from El Salvador, El Salvador is in Central America everybody knows this Country as "Thumb of America". Because it is the smallest country in Central America. El Salvador has 14 states. I lived in Puerto La Libertad El Salvador. In our culture mens and womans has to work. I lived with my aunt, my mother's sister I lived with her because when I was 4 years old my mother decided to emigrate to the United States never in my life I will forget that time was in 2003. I remember my mom took me to buy many toys and lunch I could say this was the best day of my life, because I spent all day with her, but never imagined it would also be the worst. Because that day would separate me from my mom. After we spent the whole day together we return back home. I felt my mother was strange and I did not know why. She was taking a shower, I went and asked that where she was going. She never said anything just said go play I obeyed and I went to playing with my cousins ​​in my room. After one hour I went outside and she wasn’t there, I asked for her despair and everyone told me, she will come back. This day I pass crying all night and I felt it was the worst day of my life. Do not glad nothing, I don’t wanted playing, I don’t wanted to do anything, I just wanted my mom. That day my mom left me with my aunt, my aunt would be responsible for me. Little by little I started adapting and overcoming that my mom would not be with me. shortly after my mother told me the truth I was very resentful that she had left me. I remember that from that moment my life changed because I was just a child and a child just wanna be with parents. my two sisters lived with my grandmother as four hours from where I lived, they were older than me and they visited me, My aunt was very angry, sometimes I was very afraid, she punished me when I did things that she does not like. As time went by it was beating my mom would not be with me. I loved my aunt, And although today is not with me I still loving her. Because since my mother left me in their care she took care of me and educate me sometimes I think how she was and how she raised me I think this, because now thanks to her I am a polite and respectful boy. She always told me that there was nothing else better that to be polite and respectful.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
The school in my Country El Salvador. The first school where I studied from kindergarten through ninth grade was big when I started studying in that school I was 4 years old after my mother immigrated to the United States, my aunt enrolled me in that school, I clearly remember the first day of school kindergarten my cousin was studying with me, He was the son of my aunt, My mom’s sister and we were born the same year and the same month, He is 10 days older than me. When I was in 4th grade I met my best friends, was very strange how we met, really I never imagined that our friendship could become us in brothers, they were 4 the day we met was in the classroom. The truth I can not quite remember how it was that I speak to them I only remember that it was in the classroom. But what I do know is that from that day until now our friendship remains the same. We did so many crazy things, but the truth is that we never forget each madness we did. We studied together from 4th grade through 9th grade. We always tried to be together in classes, But when the years passing we worry because we said that when we graduated from 9th grade, we separated because everyone would go to different schools and as well was get the day. On November 26, 2011 was our graduation this day I felt very nervous, because from this day we would leave school and each one had to continue the studies in different schools. This day we all dress very elegant we went to a ceremony in a Catholic church, then we went to school to another ceremony, after the ceremony all students had to sing a song of farewell. We all had to sing a song called "I'm not going" OV7 and all began to mourn was very sad sing this song. After we finish singing we said goodbye. The following year I enter in another school it was the high schools, The truth when I started in my new school I expected to see my friends, but only one of my friends went to the same school. My others friends went to other schools. But we always meet to talk . In this school, I just survey one year.                                                                                                                                                                    

As in October 2013 my mom told me that if I wanted to travel to the United States, The truth this was a very hard decision I had to make. Well I thought of my aunt my cousins ​​I did not want to leave them, because I grew up with them, and I knew that let them would be very painful for me and for them. I had never said anything to my aunt about what my mom told me, She asked me what was wrong, I never said anything but then my mom told her that I would come to the United States. That day my aunt were crying a lot, and she told me that if what my mom told was truth, When I saw her crying made ​​me very feelings and crying with her. and I said yes because I wanna being with my mom, but she was wrong and she told me not, at that time I felt very bad and sad. From that moment she woke up every days sad, and I cried every night because I could not imagine the day of departure. She helped me prepare everything, in my case I had to travel all the way from the car trip, when arrive the day that I would leave was very sad for me said goodbye to my cousins ​​and her, when I said goodbye to them all wept, I felt really bad and I told to my aunt  “I love you SO much” and “thank you so much for everything”. and I let my home. I was sad but I was also excited because I wanted to know Guatemala and Mexico, first crossed Guatemala, We arrived to the capital of Guatemala, We paid an hotel where we rested, then the next day we still and so spent days in a row traveling and visiting new places, After crossing Mexico went through the capital of Mexico and met many beautiful places in Mexico, then we crossed to America.                                                                                                                                                                                                                DECEMBER 23 2013 I arrived in the United States. I was very happy because I was in America I only missing a few hours to get to New York and be with my mom and my sisters, when I get to New York I was very excited at that moment I thought New York was wonderful, I saw many people on the streets, many cars, listened to music, New York looked and sounded very happy, then I saw my mom my sisters and my nephew they were waiting for me, I was very glad to see them, my mom ran to me and  she hugged me and she said that I was very big, I already had 13 years without seeing to my mom as 7 years of not seeing my sisters. We hugged very strong and took me to my new home, well it was an apartment when we arrived and I get into, the apartment was very hot inside, but I do not think it was that was hot and I think, I felt so, because in my country I was used to live in the outdoors and this was an apartment and because the apartments sometimes feels hot. Then I take a shower, I got dressed, and my sisters took me to buy everything I needed, where we went shopping there were many beautiful things, my sisters were happy with me they buyed clothing shoes etc. Then we return back home and my sister was preparing her girlfriend's birthday. Her girlfriend comes home and was excited and surprise about what my sister had prepared for her, and my entire family gathered to celebrate, everything was very nice. The next day was a very special day for all was December 24 a day that we celebrate every year because it's the day that was born our God, who gave His life for us, this day we celebrate it big because it's very special to us my mom cooked plenty of food and midnight we went to the church to thanks God for all the blessings he gives us.                                                                                                                                                                                                           

In January 2014 my mother began looking for a school for me to study, first we went to many schools but told us we needed to go to the Department of Education. Then we went to the Department of Education. When we arrived, they gave us a school where we had to go to see if there was space for mE "International High School At Lafayette" We went to this school when we arrived and the school was a large building, The truth it admired me because in my country schools are not like the schools of New York. We went inside and I saw many young people of all ages, I was very nervous because I didn’t  knew no one and did not know how would be my first day. We went to the school office and there was a really happy girl, my mom asked if there was space for me and she said yes. They gave us an application to fill up, and that same day I stayed at School, I was very nervous and the whole students started looking at me because I was new. It was not easy for me to be there where I didn’t knew no one, not knowing English, and not knowing what to do, I knew nothing in the class, and I did not know what the teachers said, And I did not know what I had to do. And that was every days. I became very bad, when I got home because I am a quiet boy I do not like walking into trouble and all students annoying me. There was a time when I did not want to go to school I locked myself in my room and I did not like going out and not only was school, It was also other problems I had and it affected me a lot. But teachers tried to help me and slowly I  began to understand, and therefore no longer paid attention to those who bothered me and always tried to be alone. Actually I am not a person who makes friends with anyone. So I did friends at school. After my cousin came to study at the same school where I was, I started to change I felt more confident with him and with his friends and also I began to make my friends and I felt better than before.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
After I came to the United States thanks to God's arranging my legal papers in this country. My mom, my sisters helped me a lot for this. After so many problems I now feel happy that everything is going well for me because now I am already legal in this country. I'm studying and I'm getting everything I want, really thank you very much my mom and my sisters, I think that if we want something we can have it, the problem is that sometimes we beat ourselves because we do not think we are able to achieve what we want. I say this because many times I locked and said I couldn’t do nothing. But I slowly dawned on me that human beings are able to do anything. Sometimes I see on television people without arms, without fets, and are prepared people that although they are not full of their body are able to achieve their dreams, and we who have all spent the whole time thinking I can not do anything. I have many problems which can not tell you, sometimes I think that if my family had not supported me, right now I would be not telling you this. But thanks God I decided not to let me down and keep going despite everything. So I say "Never say I can not When you can actually more than you'd think."