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Hope

I watched the trees whip by as we drove along the highway toward our new home. I was full of anxious excitement. What would my life be like in this new place, I wondered? Mom and Dad sat in the front discussing everything from decorating the house to their new jobs. Even though I was leaving behind everything I knew, as well as a best friend, I was still optimistic asthat this was a positive step forward. You need change in order to grow. New experiences make a fuller life. I would keep telling myself that.

The concern my mind kept wandering back to is school. Will I make any good friends? Will people like me? Will I have the kind of deep and meaningful relationships I left back home? I truly hoped so. Mom said that the world is full of friends that you just haven’t met yet. I believe her wholeheartedly. She moved away from her home at around my age. But she was starting college. I am starting midway through my senior year of high school.  Its going to be really awkward being new in the middle of the year. Everyone has already established their group of friends. I’ll be an outsider. But I will try my best to make the most of it. Because this is a good move for my parents. My Dad is getting his dream job. A mathematics professor at Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts. That’s a long way from San Francisco California.

It’s been a long few days. We stayed overnight in a couple of cities along the way. Just to break up the monotony of driving. We are in the SUV while we tow Mom’s car behind us. I sold my car before we left. It wasn’t worth trying to drive it here. It’s better that the three of us took turns driving. It’s actually been pretty fun. We’ve always loved family road trips. Although I usually bring my best friend, Sage. Thank goodness for Face Time and social media. I’m going to miss her like crazy.

Dad keeps telling me we are almost there. I will believe it when we pull up to our house. We’ve started going through a more residential neighborhood. The houses are beautiful. They look old but nice. My Mom called it historic. I can see the appeal. They have a sense of grandeur that our neighborhood didn’t possess. Mom said it will need a little work, but not much. I’m looking forward to it. Bringing back the original beauty of something can be therapeutic.

We finally pull up to a white, two story home. It has pillars holding up the beautiful front porch. It is amazing! I never expected this. It looks like it has a fresh paint job too. Dad really did good. He found this place on his own when he came out here to interview with the Dean. He wouldn’t show me a picture, saying that he wanted it to be a surprise. “What do you think?” he asks proudly, with a big grin on his face. “Very impressive.” Mom tells him while hugging him around the waist. “I love it Dad. I’m proud of you! You actually have taste.”

The three of us laugh as we enter the double doors. It is gorgeous inside. Hardwood floors, a spiral staircase with a big chandelier hanging above us. It has a big open floorplan. I run to the kitchen to have a look. I love to cook. So the kitchen is one of my favorite parts in every house. It does not disappoint. It’s a huge gourmet kitchen with marble counter tops. I can tell this place is newly renovated. But they kept the charm that was probably here many years ago when it was first built. I turn in a circle looking at everything. Double oven, warming drawer, wine fridge, six burner range. I run to my dad and give him a big hug. “I love it!” “This part is for you baby. I knew this was the key to making you want to stay.”

Mom laughed as she took it all in. “Honey, you outdid yourself. This place must have cost a fortune!” “Not as much as our house in San Francisco. Property value is a little less here.” He informs us. That’s a relief. I would hate for Dad to break his neck making the mortgage. But I assume he is getting a pretty good salary at the college. They tell me not to worry about those things. But I am a worrier. It’s what I do. I don’t want my parents to ever have to struggle to make sure I have nice things. That’s why I don’t ask for much. I bought a used car by myself with money I had earned. I was proud of that.

We looked around the rest of the downstairs and the back yard. It was open to trees in the back. The lot was large. So, we didn’t really need to worry about privacy. The trees would take care of that too. It was so peaceful. Then we headed upstairs to see the bedrooms. Mom and Dads was gorgeous with a walk-in closet and on suite bathroom. But I was really interested in mine. “Go ahead Hope, I know you are dying to see your room.” Mom told me as I ran down the hall to check it out.

Wow! That’s all I could think when I walked in. It was big. Twice the size of my old room. It faced the backyard and had a balcony looking over the woods. Dad’s voice startled me because I was in my own little world at that point. “Gorgeous, isn’t it? I knew as soon as I saw it that this would be the perfect room for you. It even has a little window seat for reading!” He announced. I looked next to the French doors and saw a bay window with the same view as the balcony. “It’s perfect.” I imagined doing my homework in the window, looking out at the sunset. Dad gave me a big bear hug as Mom started talking about how we should decorate.

After inspecting every inch of the new house, we decided to head out to eat. Our things would be arriving in a big moving van tomorrow. There wouldn’t be any cooking until all the kitchen supplies arrived and we took a trip to the grocery store. We each had a suitcase of necessities for tonight. It felt like we were on vacation.

Dinner conversation was full of speculations about our new life in Cambridge. Dad was replacing a much older professor who had a heart attack a couple months ago. He would be starting midyear just like me. Mom would be joining the team at a hospital only ten minutes away. She was a psychologist. The same profession I hoped to get into. But I wanted to be a child psychologist. I love children. And I hope that I can help any who need it.  

The long tiring day ended with us blowing up air mattresses that we put in the living room like we were having a sleep over. That was Mom’s idea. Before I fell fast asleep, I thought again about starting school in a few days. The anxiety was still there. But excitement was right behind it now that we were actually here. New year’s eve was in two days. And then on Monday, I would be thrown into an unknown world. I had pretty much gone to school with the same kids my whole life. Sage had been my best friend since 4th grade. This was a huge change. A big, frightening, thrilling change.