-
Breaking the news
It was a pretty morning when my parents woke me up for school telling me that I was moving to Beaumont, Texas for my eigth grade year. I was mortified to think I had to leave Baton Rouge after going to Sacred Heart for nine years where I grew up where all my friends were. -
Friendships broken
Before my volleyball game at SHS, I sat all my friends down and told them the news. They all thought it was a April fool's joke and didn't believe me at first. But, when I started to cry they knew it was the real deal. They all hugged me in tears and said they would miss me so much and told me to visit all the time. -
Suprise
My three best friends and I planned on going to Deangelo's for my going away dinner. Little did I know, I walk in to a room full of people yelling "SUPRISE!" At that moment I realized that I had the best friends anyone could ever ask for. It touched my heart and made it so much harder to leave Baton Rouge. -
Getting to Beaumont
We pulled into the driveway of our new apartment in Beaumont and I was not ready to make this little town in Texas into my new home. We walked into the door and I saw my very tiny room with a bed and a desk. I was angry, sad, and hopeless for Beaumont at this point. I just wanted my friends back. Later that day, I unpacked all my boxes with my pictures from Baton Rouge, clothes, and furniture. It was not easy fitting all my clothes into the tiny closet! -
Saying Goodbye
My three best friends and I were sitting outside my house by the FOR sale sign crying our eyes out thinking we wouldnt be the "fab four" ever again. I hugged those three as tight as I could before I got into the moving van and cried for those three hours straight all the way to Beaumont. I was heart broken. -
Volleyball Tryouts
I would start my eight grade year at a Catholic school called St. Anne's. I had played volleyball for six years before I moved so I wanted to try out for my school's team. I was so nervouse to go to the tryouts knowing in my mind I did not know anyone there and was intimidated by thinking maybe everyone will be better than me, how humiliating. I walked into the gym and walked up to the coach to sign in. She asked me if I was new and I told her my story. Right when I turned to walk away.... -
Continued
a girl named Falon walked up to me and said "Hi! I'm Falon!" I thanked the Lord that someone as nice as Falon walked up to talk to me. I was a very outgoing person already, but I was just so nervouse not knowing anything about this town or anyone in it. I was relieved when she talked to me and introduced me to all of her friends. Overall, I nailed the volleyball tryouts! Everyone, including the coach, told me I was amazing and that Louisiana must have some good volleyball players. -
Beaumont BFF
During my tryouts, I met my soon to be called best friend in Beaumont, Tori. We met during a drill and we immediately connected. I loved Tori with all my heart and we knew everything about each other. After the tryouts, I ended up meeting every eight grade girl in the gym and they all loved me. I ended up getting the nickname "Pourciau Fo Sho." I even got invited to a sleepover at Falon's THAT day. After that day was over, I was in love in beaumont. -
First Day of School
I walked into my homeroom of Mrs. Morrow and sat down in my seat. The first person I saw was Tori and I was so happy she was in my homeroom class. Falon jumped up from her seat and ran over to tell me hey. I felt so welcome at St. Anne's because the eighth grade was a family. The teacher was calliing role and when she got to me she asked me how I pronounced my name and I told her "Pourciau, but you can call me Pourciau Fo Sho." I couldn't believe I had said that, but everyone laughed very loud.. -
Cont.
and it gave me a confidence boost for the reat of the day. Throughout the day, every class I went to, every person was nice to me and introduced themselves to me. I felt at home and I felt so special because everyone wanted to get to know me. I couldn't wait to go back to school the next day. -
High School Cont.
I played volleyball in high school and was a very active student. I was in many clubs and had a lot of friends. Towards the end of freshmen year, I found out that my mom got a new job in Baton Rouge and we were moving back to start my sophomore year at SJA. I was astonished that I was moving back to BR but so sad to leave my life in Beaumont. I had made many trips to BR on the weekends for LSU games, birthday parties, and holidays so I had kept in touch with my friends in BR, but had created... -
Eighth Grade
That eighth gradeyear was unbelievable. I created bonds with people that I never thought I would do and felt as if it was meant to be for me to move to Beaumont. I was friends with everyone in my grade and I was actually so popular. Afer St. Anne's, just about everyone goes to the same high school named Kelly High. We stayed a family at Kelly and high school was so fun for me. Beaumont was a blessing and gave me so much confidence I didn't know I had. -
Leaving Beaumont
bonds with my friends in Beaumont, I was very sad to leave. My friends threw me a going away dinner and it was the best night I had ever had in Beaumont. That stage of my life came and gone so fast, but I truly believe that it was God's calling to get me away from Baton Rouge for a little while to be able to grasp a new and different experience. And I thank him for giving me that chance. -
High School
The summer before I started high school, I lost forty pounds because I adapted a disease called hypo-thyroidism. What it does is it slows down my metabolism so I wasn't burning calories as fast as normal people. I needed to diet and I decided to lose a lot of weight so I could start my high school years feeling great. When I went back to school, everyone was astonished about how good I looked. I recieved so many compliments and felt like super woman. I even got my first "boyfriend" freshmen year -
Cont.
As would I in this circumstance. I gave up everything in Baton Rouge, my friends, family, home, and school just so my dad would be happy. Not many people can move to a city they had never heard of and "rock it" like I did. My parents were so proud of me for being such a strong person and handling Beaumont the way that I did. Phoenix traveled a great distance to save her grandson and make his life easier, and I traveled three hours from home, made all new friends, and adapted to a new home just -
Cont.
make my dad's life easier. My perilous journey given to me was to walk into an experience, not knowing how it was going to end, and overcoming it with confidence. Phoenix and I both overcame our struggles and diffuculties and kicked them in the butt! -
"A Worn Path"
My perilous journey I just explained to you was having to leave all my friends in Baton Rouge and move to an unheard of city in Texas where I knew no one and had to adjust my whole life just for my dad's new job. I had struggles facing this challenge, but I did it for my dad. This connects to "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty by the character in that short story having so much love for her grandson, that she would do anything to make him happy.
