Tracy Li

Personal Narrative/College Essay

October 14, 2019

Memories from the Past

While I was walking along the street of a quiet neighborhood, toward the park,

the sun was covered by the clouds and it was the perfect weather for a stroll. I listened

to the birds chirping while enjoying the early morning weather of October. As I sat at the

park, I began to rethink my life. Having a flashback of my memories, I imagined myself

traveling back in time and experiencing the events again. Although time cannot rewind, I

still wish to return to the time of my childhood because of the freedom and happiness I

had back in my home country.

The memories I had back in my home town were the best time of my life, despite

the unpleasant memories along with it. I used to live in Fuzhou, China, with my grandma

and other family members from my mom’s side. We went for a walk every day after

coming home from school and there would always be some type of events going on like

people playing with fireworks, dancing in the streets at night, or performing their talents

for others to see. On some other days, we Rode a ship to a nearby island to visit. This

island was like a second home to me. It was a place where I could roam freely without

worrying that something was going to happen to me. It was a safe place in my heart and

knowing that there is a place like that makes life much better. We go to the island

whenever we can and I, sometimes, will go catch crabs or play hide and seek with my
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sister and cousin during free time. It was a time that I will never forget because that was

when I still had my freedoms and could do anything I want without having any

consequences that follow. The carefree life in China was what formed my happiness in

my childhood life. My grandma and older sister also contributed to my happy childhood.

Although my family is not wealthy, we still were able to do the activities and events that

other families were able to do. Because my grandma favored me the most, I became a

spoiled child. She would always give the best food or clothes to me and keep the

not-so-good ones to herself. Because my grandma was the only one who cared for me

and loved me for who I am, she became my favorite family member and someone who I

can depend on no matter what. My life in China was going well until one day, I was told

that my parents decided to take me back to the United States. Moving to the United

States changed my whole lifestyle. When I moved to America, my parents expected me

to work at the family restaurant every day after school. I was not able to hang out with

my friends or go to any social events. If I made any mistakes, I would be beaten up by

my parents. My freedoms and happiness were stripped away from me the second my

parents placed all the restrictions on my social life. I was becoming like a robot that had

to follow whatever the boss tells them to do. Unable to hang out with my friends or

anyone else, I was becoming less social with other people and more of an introvert. I

could only talk to my siblings and my parents. My friends at school were not as close to

me as they are with other people because they were able to hang out and do the fun

stuff. Until now, I am still currently working at the family restaurant and is my tenth year

working there. Some of the restrictions have come off since I am a senior now and I was
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also able to earn a couple of bucks every day. Even though with some restrictions gone,

I was still not able to live the lifestyle I wanted. I miss the old times and if I ever had a

chance to go back in time, I would relive that part of my life again.

Thinking about coming to America and lived the so-called ”American Dream”

brought hope to me, but it also disappointed me, knowing that America was not the

same as I imagined. The American people were different from their cultures and

languages too. It was hard for me to assimilate with the other people in my community

and school. I feel like living with my group of people in my home town and sharing

common ideas made my life not as difficult compared to what I had to go through to be

like other people. Because of the drastic change in my life after I moved to the United

States, I wish I could go back to the time when I was still in China, living my simple and

playful life.