Across the States By Gabriel Ramirez

Of course I have moved. I have moved many times. My first home was in East Bronx, New York where i was born. It was in an apartment building. The building was falling apart and had graffiti all around it. The room on the 7th floor, however, thanks to us, was nice and clean. It was small with 3 rooms, but then again it was only three of us. The apartment was great but the enviroment is no place to raise children. You've got crackheads doing their drugs in the front, bullets always going off, so on and so forth. Yeah, that's home all right.
I then was relocated to Santa Ana because of my father's buisness. My first home here was in another apartment slightly bigger than the one at home with 5 rooms, and very clean. There's not much to tell about this place. The room was very similar to the one back home. After my parents got a higher degree in their careers, we moved to a small house with 6 rooms. I lived there for quite a while. Then when my parents were promoted, we moved to a bigger house with 13 rooms. A house s lot bigger than the last one. The house was going to be our permanent home until i go back to my hometown. I know i'll be here awhile because we remodeled and had a pool installed (a lot of money invested). This moving has really affected me. In the Bronx, it gave the feeling of home and was content. I guess I felt sad leaving that place. I was going to leave a great place. I remember my first ballgame there when I was 2 years old. I learned to do many things there: how to talk, how to walk, and many other things toddlers know how to do. As i left, i thought of all the memories i was leaving behind. When i came to Santa Ana I wasn't suprised. In the Bronx it was a lot tougher than it is here in California. For example, you thing gangs are bad in Santa Ana and L.A.? To us New Yorkers, they are wannabes. All i felt was pissed that i had to move here. Many ask me why i don't i just go home? I'm not there becuase i'm underage. I left the Bronx when i was 5 years old. When i got here i was enrolled at John Muir Fundamental. I moved from the apartment at 6. I moved from the house when i was 8. I've never had any fears. Except one. The fear of displeasing my father. If i did something wrong all hell would break loose. Let's just say his discipline is very painful anf very effective. My hopes are to become a marine, part of the C.I.A., a politician, and to graduate as valedictorian at Harvard Law School. So far, I've achieved a small step towards all these hopes.