Hermit crabs can’t grow their own shells. They find an abandoned snail shell or other crevice to crawl into and create a home. Once they outgrow these, they find a bigger shell to occupy, leaving the small one behind for another little crab to pick up. Before I moved to Gig Harbor, I sheltered myself from new people and experiences. I had a few close friends and that felt like enough. Meeting new people seemed unnecessary at best and terrifying at worst. I stayed in my shell where I was safe, and where I thought I was happy.

I didn’t want to accept that I was really going to leave Hawaii when my parents told me. I didn’t sleep for 3 days, I couldn’t stop crying. But before I knew it I was cramming my last few pieces of clothes into a suitcase while I whined to my mom that they wouldn’t fit, and I didn’t want to leave. Soon after that I was looking out the window of the plane at all the twinkling, flashing, sparkling lights of Seattle. My dad picked us up from the airport and drove us to a house I’d only seen from pictures. I felt numb that night eating Panda Express and sitting on the counter because we didn’t have any chairs yet.

My parents were sending me to school before I knew where the laundry room in my house was. I went to meet my new water polo team the day after I arrived. They acted excited to meet me and we all shared a pack of Oreos, and I felt like a little kid trying to make friends on a playground at recess. The first few weeks were awkward, everyone was already good friends and I was just there. But we slowly got closer, and I started getting invited to do things outside of practice. I loved having people who wanted to do things with me, even little acts like getting food after practice together.

One night we decided to have a campfire at another girl’s house, and after it got dark we decided to go drive to the beach on Fox Island together in one of my other friend’s trucks. We all squished into the back and clung to each other as the truck swerved around sharp twists and turns.

Eventually, we got to the bridge, and I looked out at the sun setting over the still water. The moon cast a perfect reflection across the still sea of silence.

The truck swerved a little around a sharp corner, and Elsie, one of the friends I had made so far, grabbed onto my arm dramatically. We laughed, and the sound felt comfortable, like I was with my people.

That was the moment when I realized that I wanted to always be surrounded by people like this. I loved having a lot of friends and being able to go out and do random things with them. I looked around at the faces illuminated by passing streetlights and for the first time in a while I was happy. At this instant I knew that it was time to leave my old shell behind.

From that night on, I started breaking out of my comfort zone and expanding what felt safe. I joined in conversations I would’ve once listened to silently, and I let myself enjoy the people around me. And the more I opened up, the more I realized how much I’d been missing. I realized that I hadn’t been protecting myself, I was staying stuck in that tiny shell well past my time to move out.

When I moved to a new place, I made a better life for myself and became happier. I changed myself and in turn changed my life. This is the American story that has been told thousands of times by millions of people who have created better lives for themselves and their families in America. Our country is built by the millions of people who have left their old shells behind and started new stories that have spread their cultures, values, and traditions. But the American dream isn’t about what we leave behind. It’s about the new lives we create for ourselves and our families, the new shells we pick up along the way.

© Lauren. All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.