Alfiology: 1st attempt at a memoir for Senior English. (unedited)
Tags: Traveling, High School, Personality, Memoir, Personal Development

I did not edit this because I want to keep the tone as authentic as possible. It was written in early September 2019. A lot of the sentences used the same structure and it might get repetitive after a while. Nonetheless, it’s interesting to see how much I have grown, in both writing and personality, over my senior year. Enjoy:)

Chapter 1: Rush

Sweats ran down my face as I hustled across Terminal 5 at Chicago O’Hare. It’s the last leg of my 26 hours trip. My body screamed with joy as I finally stretched after the tedious 12 hours flight from Korea. That was my first time traveling to America and I was not very prepared for the plane ride. 12 hours on the ground may seem like a short period of time but in the sky, without wifi, it’s like an eternity.

Finally, we made it through immigration and rushed towards the gate. Just as we got there, our flight to Harrisburg pulled out of the gate along with our luggage on board. A look of desperation swept pass my brother’s face. Now we have to wait another 5 hours until the next flight. Sitting at the airport waiting for the next flight, I reflected on the journey. It has been filled with ups and downs: we stayed overnight at an airport due to a thunderstorm, an airport maintenance staff crashed a truck into the plane, which delayed our flight by a day (ooh the irony). Our second leg was particularly a rough ride, during which I kinda threw up. We got caught illegally carrying a banana into the US by TSA dogs (shame). And now, after everything, I am here at Ohare, grabbing my first “American Meal”, a big mac and fries washed down by Coca Cola; I was going to get ice cream but the machine was broken. Before I came to America, I never really had fast food. It’s moments like these that made my first journey to America memorable.

Chapter 2: Bros before anything

We landed at Harrisburg around 7:15 p.m. Looking outside the window, I saw it was dark outside already. The airport was very small compared to O’Hare or Incheon; it’s just basically a small building with a couple gates. Hastily pulling my carry-on bag off the overhead compartment, I rush out of the plane and inhaled deep. I was greeted by the smell of fresh chocolate mixed with a slight tint of jet fuel. I distinctly remember thinking to myself “Ahhhh, this is what America really smells like.”

I waited at the carousel for our luggage but it didn’t come. After a while, we realized that our luggage had already arrived from the flight before. Outside the airport, we got on a Taxi and got back to my brother’s place around 11pm. It was late yet I wasn’t tired at all. I laid in bed wondering about what would happen in one week. I was excited yet also scared. It was going to be my first time staying away from my family. I will be thrown into a new environment where I would need to fit in and make friends. For most people, socializing it’s a relaxing and natural process. For me, it is different. I was not really confident in myself; I didn’t really have a lot of close friends back in Vietnam. I was always too busy studying English along with Vietnamese to find time and hang out with friends. I have never been to any of my friend’s birthday party, let alone hosting one for myself. I drifted off to sleep in the middle of the night, thinking about all different scenarios, imagining what my new life would be like at Perk.

I woke up at 7 a.m the next day. I sprung out of bed, excited for my first day. In the kitchen, my brother was already preparing breakfast. I could smell sticky rice cooked with roasted pork in the kitchen. It has been 2 days since I last saw my parents and my brother had already taken their place. Being 10 years older than me, it was his duty to take care of me when I come over to his place for breaks. He doesn’t see it as duty but rather, he saw me as a friend. He would always ensure that I am well fed and happy when I am at his place, something that I learned to appreciate a lot more as I grew older. He taught me how to do laundry and tie a tie for formal dress. He also took me grocery shopping and help me pick out “healthy snacks”. Staying with him was, in a sense, more enjoyable than staying at home.

Chapter 3: Home

After a week at my brother’s place, it was finally time for me to leave and embark on a new journey at Perk. It was a sunny September day whenI woke up at 6:30 in the morning. I jumped out of bed and ran to get ready. The drive from Carlisle to Pennsburg was going to be a 2 hours and I was well prepared with the snacks: I got Sun Chips and apple juice packed just for the ride.

The drive was mostly uneventful yet I know it was one of the most significant drives of my life. It was going to be my first time traveling to Perk, my new home for the next five years. I was too anxious and excited to fall asleep in the car. Finally, we made the last turn into 2nd street by the dining hall around 11 a.m. Ms. Moser was standing inside, waiting for my arrival. Just as we pulled up into the parking lot, she came out to greet us. We introduced ourselves as Ms. Moser led us to Schulzt Hall, where I will be staying my first year.

Schultz Hall was a small and dark building located in the middle of campus. The hallways are much smaller compared to Riordan or even Krieble. There was only two small personal lights on each side of the room which gave the place a dark yet cozy vibe. Needless to say, my heart kinda sunk as we walked inside. I walked into my room and greeted Jason for the first time. He was also a new student coming from China to study 7th grade.

My brother put my stuff down and reminded me what I needed to do. After he finished, he jokingly said, “Also, remember to beat these kids in soccer,” as he hugged me goodbye. This is it. From then, I was going to live alone for the next three months. I tried holding back tears until my brother pulled out of the parking lot. Then I locked myself in my room and just let my emotions flow,

Yea I am one of the most emotional kid as I recalled. I can try to appear as tough as I want but in the end, it’s the emotions that get to me really quick. At the time, I didn’t know what it is but later into my highschool life, I realized I tend to overthink, even over the smallest things possible.

Chapter 4: Reflection

I have changed a lot since then. Every time when I arrive on campus for a new school year, I always think of my first time. Perk has grown to be my second home. Perk has seen me grew and matured throughout my time here. I became more social and confident the longer I stay. I made it to Varsity soccer in my sophomore year and met a lot more friends.

Now that it has been more than four years since my first drive to Perk, I still remember everything like it was yesterday. I remember the smell of chocolate hitting my nose as I climb out of the car next to the dining hall. I remember crying in the bathroom, away from family for the first time. I remember meeting some of my closest high school friends with a smile. Even though I was far from home, Perk is permanently engraved in my heart.