“The Journey of My Grandma” is a long and extraordinary story that shows how important family and love are to my Grandma and how she holds that close to her throughout the journey. My Grandma’s story is about her journey of coming to New York City from Puerto Rico and the struggles and challenges she faced in her incredible story. My Grandma “Eta” arrived in the U.S. only knowing Spanish which made the drastic change even more difficult. She knew moving would benefit her kid’s education and opportunity but in doing so she sacrificed her home. Her home is now hundreds of miles away making a courageous and scary decision.
My Grandma lived in the “Campos” of Puerto Rico which means mountains. The mountains are breathtaking with amazing views and a calm atmosphere. You can hear the birds and frogs, which are native to Puerto Rico. The frogs make loud croaking noises throughout the night whilst the trees swing in the warm breeze. The weather is almost always warm and sunny; when it isn’t, it rains to rejuvenate exotic wildlife and plants. You can also find horses, cows, chickens, and other farm animals in the mountains. It was peaceful and all she could ever have asked for. She also had many family members living in Puerto Rico; if she left, she would be the only one in the States. My Grandma loved it and was happy. She would often go to the beach, and she still talks about the beach to this day. She remembers how clear and peaceful the water and waves were with the soft grainy sand. She used to go down to the beach during dawn to sit and enjoy the view. When my Grandma was younger, she would have never thought about leaving. She was content with her quiet life living in paradise.
My Grandma was only 18 when she left Puerto Rico. She wanted to move to the States after hearing about the amazing opportunities. She wanted a family and felt her children would benefit if she moved since the education would be significantly better. She decided to move to New York City, a massive switch from her peaceful life. She went from living in the quiet mountains to the loud city known as the “city that never sleeps.” My grandma loved how quiet the days and nights were in Puerto Rico and felt a warm and comfortable feeling towards it. This switch was a very hard adjustment for her and she talks about how she used to wish she never moved away. The city is always loud even at night. My Grandma lived in an apartment and the noise never left her. But in the back of her mind, she remembered that her kids would thank her when they were older. After some time, my Grandma got used to New York after living there for 10 years, she is now 26 and has one kid, my titi Sari. She is my oldest aunt and one of the closest to my mom since she was always there to watch me when my mom had to work. My Grandma realized how hectic New York is, and decided to move to Framingham to have the rest of her kids and eventually my mother.
My Grandma and I are very close and she’s always been there for me since I was a baby. She would talk to me in Spanish when I was young and that’s the main reason I understand Spanish so well. She made a very big decision, and I am inspired by her and her determined spirit. My grandma is one of the strongest people I know and I would not trade her for the world. My Grandma is currently 77 and lives in Framingham but every time I see her she tells me how wonderful Puerto Rico is and how she wishes she could go back just one more time. She is too old to travel now unfortunately but she holds Puerto Rico close to her heart and now I hold Puerto Rico close to my heart for her and my culture. I love my culture and heritage and wouldn’t trade it for the world. This is her story and I’m happy I was able to share it.
