In the summer of 2018, I had thought I experienced complete fulfillment. My family's month-long road trip across the US was the beginning of it all. Our journey began in Nevada, we moved up to Michigan, continued through New York, and ended in Florida before making the long drive back to California. I was relieved as we got closer to my house since I would be able to sleep in my own bed and in my own home.

As soon as we pulled into the driveway, my dad noticed water seeping through the sides of the house and hurried inside. My parents checked the house as my brother and I waited in the car. However, I grew restless and followed them anyway. As soon as I got closer to the entrance, I could feel this unbearable humidity. I wasn’t allowed inside, but I could see parts of my house. The entire floor of the house had a thin layer of water. Before we left on our trip, we began to remodel my room. We took all of my belongings and left them in the living room. My heart immediately dropped when I realized that the water had crept its way into the living room where all of the major damage was. The world stopped. My mind went blank. I didn't know what to even begin thinking. It took some time for the realization to set in, but when it did, I immediately started crying. That was the first time I had felt so suffocated. I couldn't even begin to think about how life would be without my home.

The only belongings I had left were the things I took with me on the road trip. I had nothing and I was supposed to start school in a week. I couldn’t fathom how the next year would look without my home and my most personal belongings. I had so many unanswered questions. There was no certainty. All I knew was that my life had changed. I couldn't ask my parents because they didn't have the answers either. Since I was so young, it was so strange to see the strongest people I knew look so weak. Luckily, we were able to lean on my extended family for support. Without them, I have no idea what we would've done.

After spending a few nights at my uncle's house, we stayed at a nearby hotel for about a week. Thankfully, my other uncle opened his home to us, and we stayed there for about three months. Those nights were terrible. Eventually, we did manage to rent a house, and we stayed there for eight months. Even though the house was on the nicer side, I missed my home. I was just trying my hardest to wake up in the mornings and do the best I could in school, but I had a difficult time focusing on school and getting simple assignments done. Before I knew it, we had to find a new place to live.

Fortunately, another family member opened up their home to use for three months. I spent most of the day alone while my parents worked on fixing our home. This was the best we could do at the time, and even though I'm grateful for it, it was still challenging for me. After a long year and four months, the construction was finished. We were able to finally begin to move back into our home. It was odd entering my house and finding that everything inside was completely different from what I had known. I was able to recognize that I took for granted my life at home and I saw the important role family plays in my life. Without my family, I would not be where I am today.

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