Personal Narrative: My Gymnastics Program

“How do you feel about moving to Japan?” was the question my mother asked. I was 7-years-old and we were sitting in traffic on the way to gymnastics practice. Little did I know that this question would become my reality in a few short months. There is no other way to describe how I felt about this move, besides absolutely devastated. We lived in Virginia at the time and I was beyond happy. I had great friends, I liked my school, but most of all I absolutely loved my gymnastics program. I suddenly felt as though my whole world was coming to a halt. This was the second time that my Dad’s Marine Corps career had uprooted my life and haphazardly replanted it in new unfamiliar territory, but the first time it was shell-shocking for me. I vividly remember, when we first arrived in Japan,
When I first moved, I feared that it would be difficult to make new friends. What I found was a group of kids that were just like me—scared and in a new environment. Soon I had amazing friends and although I missed my old life in Virginia, I was equally as happy in my new one. I became involved with the recreation program which led me to discover my love for cheerleading. I have now been cheering competitively for 5 years, as a result. I matured mentally in a way that I would not have, if I had I stayed in one environment my entire life.
My experiences have molded me into the person I am today. Despite my original aversion to the idea of living in a different country, I would not be who I am today without that experience and I would not change that for anything. Living in Japan, and being a child of the military, I have had many opportunities to grow by experiencing different cultures and extreme diversity. Being forced to move was hard, but it has given me a certain adaptability to be able to survive and thrive in any