The Year is now 1972, im seventeen years old and happly living my life. And im looking foward to naxt year as i will be a senior in school getting ready for gradution and collage, i can't wait! But lately my parents have been acting really weird they sometimes stare at me when were eating dinner like there thinking really hard about something. One day i had to ask them what the problrm was. "Mum, da?" "Yes darling?" my mother replied. "Is something wrong? you seem to have something on your mind?" My mother and father stared at me hard, and then put down there silver ware and spoke. "Well love your right, your mother and i do have something on our minds....and we might as well tell you now." "Robert already knows." My mother spoke. "Love, we have decided your mother and i that......were moving to America." My da's words didn't sink in right away and it took me awhile to relize that he wasn't joking. Wha.....What? Da, you........you can't be serious.....can you? "Yes bunny we are and it's for all of our sakes....your father can find a new job, and your brother....well he's always wanted to go...." But right then i saw in there eyes that they were not telling me the whole truth. "What elese is it?" I asked. " And.....well sweetie theres been talk of another bad fever going around and.........well we-" "Your afraid that ill get sick again aren't you?" I interruped. "Bunny we almost lost you when that happned we don't want you to get sick again." " So takeing me to some stange country is gonna cure me? Mum, we don't even speak English!" "I know honey and that's why weve hired a private turtor for you she will teach you how to speak like they do, she will teach all of us!" And i already know a little English" my father said as he pronouced some basic American words. "But what about all my friends? Katie and Patty and Erin and Molly and-" "You certinaly be able to write to them and maybe in the summer over there they can come visit." I just stood there and shook my head i coulden't deal with this at all and so i ran up to my room sobbing.

In the following weeks my family and i started to pack up our belongings. As mum had said i did begin my lessons to learn English and i can now carry on a full conversation but i have to spreak slow and i do prefer Irish over English it sounds so much pretter. My friends and i are all upset at the thought that we may never see each other ever again and i spend as much time with them as i can going to celtic festivles, watching a step danceing show, have a million sleep overs, and make soda bread together. We have promised to write to each other and send each other gifts on our Birthdays and St. Pattys Day of course. And the thought of not seeing them everyday absolutily kills me.

We are of course in first class, i sit naxt to my brother and mt parents sit behind us. We get of an on planes so many times before we reach our new home in Los Angles California. Our home is another manchion smaller that the one back home. I pick my room and quickly unpack my things then i sit down on my bed and cry. I hate this place i want to go home. I sit up, my window is open and i go over and look out. "Ta` se` te`. I whisper to my self which means it is hot in irish. It is absoulty schoring it never this hot back home.....i think back to my self. With that thought more tears come out. I pick up my scootish terrier stuffed dog and hug him i want to go home. Later that day neighbors come over to greet us and give us jello molds and foods i have never heard of. One lady gave us a fruit basket and it ahd somethin in it called bannanas, long yellow and sometimes brown spotted fruits.....i think there fruits. Of course i will not eat anything at all here i refuse to eat American food. At dinner my family eats everything that our new neighbors gave us they all seem to like it, but not me i eat soda bread instead.

Months have passed sence we have moved and it is now Augast and i am preparin to go to school. My brother is also preparing to go to Miami University were he will be a freshmen. I am glad that im a senior but i would rather graduite in Ireland. My first day of school arrives and i am now on the bus. I sit with no one and stare out the window. As i get off the bus kids look at me in wonder, i walk silently to my locker and open it. I shove my backpack in and get out my English Folder which is my first class and math which is my second. I gently close my locker and head up stairs. As soon as i enter the hall way i am lost i have no idea were i am and i start to get scared the teacher will be angery with me if i don't hurry. Finally a teacher walks up to me and kindly speaks. "Are you lost sugar?" I look down at the floor and nod i notice she has an acsent as well a very strange one at that. "Well then can i take a gander at your schedule?" I look at her like she's nuts what did a gander mean?" "Can i look at your schedule?" I hand her it and continue to wonder what a gander meant. She looks back at me. "Your not from around here are you darlin?" I shake my head. "Your not from this country are you?" I shake my head again. "Well were are you from then?" "Ireland" i reply. "My goodness you really arn't from around here! Can You speak English?" "Yes, but...i have...to....speak, slow." i say. She nods "i understand"

My classes have gone somewhat ok, the teachers all ask me to stand up and introduce my self i do so but i speak slowly and stutter sometimes. The kids all stare at me some smile some don't some even laugh a little. It is now lunch period and i sit alone and eat a salad. Then a small group of girls begins to walk over to me, i slid down in my chair a little and look down. "Hi! Welcome to America!" she speaks. She has brown hair and a slight tan. "My names Tanya, whats yours?" "Delia" i say. "Delia? wow. ive never headr that name before it's pretty!" "Thankyou, yours.....is to ive........never...heard yours....eather." "Oooooo i love your acsent!" i look up and smile "I like yours to." Another girl steps up this one has blond hair. "Hello im Amanda nice to meet you Delia." the other to introduces them selves as Charlene and Joanne. "Hey ya look kinda lonely sititn over here wanna sit with us?" "Yes, thank you" "Come on Delia!"

From that moment on Tanya,Amanda,Charlene,Joanne,and were i best friends we hung out the rest of the day i manged to learn what hang out ment. After school the ask me if w wan't to go to a soda fountian with them and have a pop. "Whats a pop?" "You know.....pop like.......um.....coke! "Oh you mean soda!" i say. We all burst out laughing and went to get pop. It is now may and the year 1973 my new friends and i will graduate this year. But i still miss my friends in Donegal and write them everyday.

More months have passed and i have finally graduted i don't know were im going to collage but i think i might go back to Ireland. And i am now eighteen! my parents bought me a brand new car for my birthday. But my birthday wishes didn't last long that night my parents informed me and Rob that the weather here is to hot and is makeing my mother sick so we will move to NewYork. I hated it but we did, we move the following year to NYC. Now it is 1974 i am nineteen and living in NYC. I write and phone all my friends in Ireland and California. I am going to New York University for collage and i am studyin the preforming arts. I now speak perfect English but still have my accent. My familty stayed in NYC. All of us happy with the climate i graudeted from NYU in 1977 at the age of 22. And moved out of my parents house and into a small apartnment in Queens. When 1979 rolled around i had been in 12 broadway musicals and plays on one tour it took me to a city called Veridan were i met Mr.Right.