Jimena Diaz was six years old when she and her family moved to California. She originally lived in Tapalpa, Jalisco in Mexico. Moving countries as a kid means you have to adjust to new schools, new rules, and new ways of living.
“I was excited about having a new house and trying new stuff,” Jimena said. Moving countries means you experience many new things like food, languages, and cultures. It can be exciting but also a bit overwhelming.
“Something that felt strange was the time difference between Mexico and here,” she stated. Mexico is two hours ahead of California, so you would be used to your old time zone. When you move far away, you might feel tired during the day and wide awake at night until you get used to it.
This is Jimena’s experience on her first day of school in a new country: “When my first day of school came, everybody was so nice to me. There was already someone who offered to play with me and hang out with me, which was super sweet!” The first day of school in another country can be really scary, especially since making new friends isn’t always easy, but she was able to make friends quickly.
Jimena only spoke Spanish, so when she moved countries, she had to learn English to communicate with others. “I did not speak the language when I came. I knew a bit. My dad would always make me and my sister practice before school would start, and I also had a teacher in school who would help me,” Jimena said. Miscommunication can happen more often if you don’t know the language, so it’s important to practice it every day.
It’s really tough to move countries, especially as a kid having to leave everything behind. This was the hardest part for Jimena: “The hardest part was leaving all of my other family and friends, but overall it was hard leaving the place where I have great memories,” she stated. Being far from family can be one of the hardest parts of moving countries.
Overall, Jimena faced many challenges when moving to a new country, such as adjusting to a new culture, learning a new language, starting at a new school, making new friends, and leaving behind her family and memories.
