It was Wednesday, October 31st. I woke up for school, like any other day of my sophomore year. The sky’s gloomy and the golden-yellow and scarlet red leaves fell from the trees.  I walked through the windy air into school, went to my classes, ate lunch with my friends, and watched the time tick by slowly. It was just another normal, boring school day to me, until my sisters and I walked in the house.

 My mom seemed flustered and furious when we walked in. The kitchen was full of my mom’s belongings, which were scattered all over the place. I grabbed a water and asked her what she was doing. “Start packing your bags. We’re moving to Florida,” she replied. I was a mess of emotions and questions. “Why?” “For how long?” “What about school?” I was also enthusiastic about getting away from the cold and rain in Ohio. My favorite aunt lived there. I hadn’t visited in years. “Make sure to pack your swimsuits,” she added as I walked to my room.

I grabbed my bags and started throwing my clothes in them. As I packed, I thought about everything I was leaving behind in Ohio: friends, my dad, family, school. Night rolled around, and the car was packed to the brim. My best friend came over to say goodbye. We hugged and I promised her it wouldn’t be forever. My mom, two sisters, our puppy, and I all crammed into the car and began driving. I looked back and saw my home shrinking in the distance. As we drove further away, my mind raced with excitement and confusion. I drifted off to sleep in hopes of making the painfully long car ride not so bad.

When I woke up, we stopped at some gas station in Kentucky. I climbed out, and the puppy hopped out after me. He scampered around as I peered at my surroundings.  “How much longer, Mom?” My little sister groaned.

“We’ve got a while to go still,” replied my mom, while pumping gas. The bright sun made my head hurt. I could see snowy mountain tops in the distance. We all climbed into the car and continued on our journey. As the hours passed, the mountains grew taller, and the weather became warmer. In Georgia we stopped for food at Rally’s and ate outside. The sky was like a masterpiece, painted a frosted lavender and vibrant deep pink. We laughed and talked about how we couldn’t wait to feel the ocean waves crash at our feet. After we finished our chocolate milkshakes, we started driving once again.

After a traffic jam in Atlanta, we finally stopped at the Florida Welcome Center. I stepped out of the car. Gigantic palm trees towered above me, and warm air immediately surrounded me. The GPS said four more hours, but they dragged on as I anticipated the new adventures that were ahead. I put in my headphones and closed my eyes. When I woke, my sister told me we would be there soon. I was more than ready to be out of the car, until a tire popped.

We took the nearest exit and pulled into a gas station. My mom knew we had a spare tire in the back, however, the problem was getting to it. My sisters, mom, and I climbed out and started taking pretty much everything we owned out of the back of the car, which was an awful lot. Suddenly, a man in a mechanics uniform walked up to us. “What seems to be the problem?” he asked, but I think he already knew our problem. Maybe it was luck, but he changed our tire in over half the time it would’ve taken my mother.

We were finally back on the road, and nothing could stop us. We saw our exit, so we knew we should be close. My mom turned onto my aunt’s street, and we were all so excited to be out of the car and at the beach. As we drove down the street I saw people outside enjoying the warm weather, and I could smell the salty sea air in the distance. We pulled into the driveway, and I jumped out and ran inside. My uncle and aunt, cousin and grandma were all waiting for us. Everyone hugged, laughed and cried in those first few minutes of being together again after so long. We unpacked and headed to the beach.

It was the middle of the day, the golden sun poured through our windows, and waves crashed in the distance. After parking, we headed to the beach. Walking along the soft white sandy shore, I heard people laughing, building sand castles and surfing. I placed my beach towel on the sand, walked into the salty sea water, and closed my eyes. It was like freedom. I stood a thousand miles from home and I knew I could stay there forever. My little sister walked in the shallow water with me. “This is so beautiful!” she chirped, I agreed. I didn’t know what in store for the future, but I ready for whatever it might be.