Personal Narrative: Moving To California

Words: 536
Pages: 3

When I was sixteen years old I made a life defining decision to move from Maine to California, that in retrospect has developed me into the strong and independent person I am today. In moving to California, I was able to better myself by pursuing my own path where I was able to thrive academically and also mentally. Before moving, I had to first recognize the unhealthy environment I was in and how it was damaging not only my academic life but my mental health as well.
While, I have always seen myself as strong and independent, I didn’t always act upon those qualities, instead I often found myself in isolation that harbored deep depression that began in my freshman year of high school. I attempted to cover up this depression through busying myself with activities that helped distract me temporally, but when I was home I couldn’t escape my anxiety and isolation. Living in a divorced household, my mother and I had a strained relationship as she attempted to start a new life that left me behind.
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In having no outside actives to distract myself, I was home most of the time where my depression grew. Eventually, after many failed attempts to reach out to school counselors and even my mother I knew I needed a change in my life as I felt trapped where I was. Knowing my Father was soon going to move with my older siblings who where attending college in California, I reached out to my Father asking if I could move with them. I knew this would be a challenge as my mother had joint custody with my father, with primary residency over