Moving to Miami

Moving to Miami

Pedro Callender

10/03/2022

I was no stranger to traveling since I have been moving from place to place for most of my life. Born and Raised in the Dominican Republic, constantly moving back and forth between my mother, father, and grandparents had become the normal routine. Around the age of eight, I moved to New York City, where I lived for five years, and moved within the city twice. My first two years in the country were spent adjusting to the American culture and learning the language, then I had to move in with an aunt—the next three years were spent discovering myself, still very much in the closet. My aunt gave me the freedom to explore the lifestyle of the city, and New York had become the place I could confidently call my home.
After finally having set my foundation in the city of New York, my father makes the statement that we are moving to Miami. Initially, I was excited to travel and move into a new space but arriving in Maimi was a different experience. After the first few days, it hit me that I would have to start from the very beginning once again. All the friends and connections I had built were miles away, with the only source of similarity coming from my father, with which whom I did not have much of a great relationship to start, and my little sister, which I often found very annoying. Since it was just the three of us, that also meant not having the comfort of having other family members by my side, which I had grown accustomed to in both the Dominican Republic and New York City. For these reasons, plus the icky weather, the city of Miami was far from what I considered my home. Whenever distant relatives or friends would ask about my feelings towards this place, I almost always responded with great dislike. “To be honest, aunty, I miss New York already. Miami doesn’t even have a subway system, and everything is so far away. How am I supposed to get around when I can’t even drive yet??”.
My first year in Miami has passed, and I have already moved twice. Once for high school, and the second just because we could no longer afford to continue renting the house. I arrived in Miami in my eighth-grade year, and knowing that a new chapter of my life was about to start, I decided to come out. Starting my high school experience without the need to hide who I truly was become the best decision of my life. I was greeted with nothing but respect and unconditional love from the close friends I had made here. Miami became the place I chose to love myself the way I had loved those surrounding me. After finally expressing my feelings without fear of judgment, my days in the city became less unpleasant. Besides the almost constant, awful, humid weather and reckless drivers, I started to view the city of Miami as a loving community. There’s hardly any hatred here regarding accepting others that differ. Everyone is too busy with two jobs, and at least three side hustles trying to make ends meet, to go out of their way and bother anyone.
My time in high school allowed me to see and truly understand Miami. This city comprises a diverse group of people, although it is mostly Cubans running the place. Just like New York City, Miami is a city that never sleeps, but not for the same reasons. While New Yorkers never sleep because of work their work ethic, Miami is a city that never sleeps because of the unique nightlife. Due to its iconic beaches and seaside hotels, tourism makes a huge impact on the locals. Most, if not all, Miamians are accustomed to juggling a work-party-work lifestyle. On multiple occasions, I witnessed people clocking off from work, heading home to change, partying all night, just to get home early in the morning and repeat it all over again, clocking into work in the morning.
My time in Miami gave me opportunities I would never have been able to reach if it were not for moving. I met my best friend, my twin soul, on the very first day of school and got the chance to build many more meaningful friendships throughout the four years. Thanks to my time spent in Miami, I have had the pleasure of furthering my journey of self-discovery. Like my own experience, many other individuals have come to love Miami the way I learned to love it. This city generates possibilities for growth no matter where one may come from or how one identifies. It is said that friend groups that vacation in Miami tend to break up because of how hectic the city can be but the connections built here can last a lifetime. With time, I have realized that home is where your loved ones are, not a specific place. Today I find myself surrounded by loved ones in the place I used to hate. Today I consider Miami my home.