Francesco Valencia's Big Life Moments

  • I was Born

    I was Born

    I was born on June 11, 2007. I was the firstborn child and I was born six weeks early at St. Joseph Hospital in Ypsilanti.
  • My Brother was Born

    My younger brother was born. He was born on August 13, 2008. He was also born in Ypsilanti.
  • I went to Disney World

    I went to Disney World

    The first time I went to Disney World, I was three. Disney World started my love for roller coasters. I have been to all the Disney Worlds in the world except for Paris Disney. We went to Paris but didn't have enough time to go.
  • I Started School

    I Started School

    I started "real" school when I was five. I remember that I was super nervous and afraid of the other kids. I went to preschool, but it was different going to all-day school.
  • My First Time on a Cedar Point Roller Coaster.

    My First Time on a Cedar Point Roller Coaster.

    I was five years old and our family took our annual trip to Cedar Point in the summer. I remember one ride called Millenium Force caught my eye and this was the first time that I was tall enough to ride a "real" roller coaster. Going on that ride changed my whole outlook on roller coasters.
  • i made my first friend

    I was in the first grade and I talked to the new kid. The new kid became my oldest friends we are still friends today.
  • I Moved to China

    I Moved to China

    I moved to China when I was in kindergarten. I went there because my Dad was promoted at work.
  • I Went on my Favorite Vacation.

    I was in the third grade when we went to Seychelles for Chinese New Year. It was one of my very favorite trips.
  • The First Time I Went Snorkeling

    The First Time I Went Snorkeling

    I was in third grade and I was terrified of the ocean. I saw so many huge fish while snorkeling and it was one of the best moments in my life.
  • I Got my First Cat

    My brother and I had been bothering my mom and dad about getting a cat. In the pet store, my mom fell in love with a flat-faced cat and we named him Jai Fei Mao, which means Garfield in Mandarin.
  • I Got my Second Cat

    We realized that my cat was super lonely because we traveled a lot when we lived in China, so we wanted to get him a friend. We went back to the same place that we got our first cat and picked out another flat-faced cat named Ginger.
  • My First Day in Middle School

    My First Day in Middle School

    My first day of middle school in China was tragic. I couldn't find any of my classes and my school didn't show us around. The school was really big and it was kindergarten through grade twelve.
  • When I moved back to the US

    When I moved back to the US

    My family and I moved back to the United States. The plane ride was super long and lasted 14 hours, but we were all excited to move back home.
  • My First Day in American Middle School

    My first day in middle school in America went ok. I knew where all of my classes were and got the locker situation all figured out.
  • COVID-19

    When COVID-19 first happened everyone was really scared and didn't understand what was happening. All the stores were sold out of things. Two days before the school closed, our parents pulled us out of school. COVID-19 has changed everyone's lives forever.