September 11th Narrative

Words: 492
Pages: 2

September 11th. The day that would change my life. My family trudged through the airport, still tired from jet lag. I texted friends and anxiously waited at the gate. It wasn’t just me that seemed distressed, my family nervously sat and awaited our flight. Also waiting were a group of foreigners speaking a language unknown to me and wearing unfamiliar clothing including unique headdresses. The moment we boarded that plane, our lives were changed forever. Hold up! What were YOU thinking about the scene I described? Just because the date was 9/11, my family was in an airport, and foreign people joined our flight doesn’t give enough information to show that something awful would happen. In fact, the opposite was true. On this day, my family would take the final flight on our journey to a new home in the Marshall Islands. The foreigners with unusual clothing? Marshallese natives and the …show more content…
Googling Kwajalein I found that I would be without cell service, restaurants or grocery store choices, and the ability to drive a car – three things iconic for representing a “true” American teen’s independence. However, my expectation that the island would be boring was completely wrong. The lack of some “normal” pleasures allowed my attention to be placed on more productive activities. Being 2,000 miles away from Guam and Hawaii meant isolation, which encourages community activities. Helping others in my area wasn’t a goal of mine until I moved to Kwajalein. Just a mile away is an island called Ebeye, or sometimes, “the Slum of the Pacific”. Visiting a place with extreme poverty via a short ferry ride made me realize I did not have any excuse not to be more involved trying to help the Marshallese. Ultimately, I believe that work done here is a better way to spend time than on “normal” teenage pleasures. Because of this belief, I am grateful for the fact my family decided to move to