The sound of a flight attendant's voice wakes me from my restless sleep.
"Ladies and Gentlemen we have officially arrived in Miami Florida, the current time is 4:04pm, and the current temperature is 72 degrees. We hope you've enjoyed your flight. Thank you for flying American Airlines and we hope to see you again."
As her announcement finishes the plane comes to a halt and the seat belt sign is turned off. Passengers begin removing their seat belts and reaching for their belongings in the overhead compartments. I stare blankly ahead, my stomach beginning to fill with butterflies. We're here.
After a nudge from my mother I begin to mindlessly mimic the other passengers. Unbuckling my seat belt and grabbing my belongings, I make my way off the plane. Everything is a blur and the butterflies in my stomach continue to worsen.
The next thing I know we're stepping out of the airport into the humid Florida air. I immediately strip off my jacket as my skin becomes sticky with sweat, why did I decide to wear pants? I look up to see a black car pulling over beside us. The driver steps out of the vehicle and I immediately recognize the tall man's shaggy brown hair and light brown eyes.
"Ady you've grown so much!" My Uncle Justin exclaims while giving me a large bear hug to the point where I can barely breathe. "It's good to see you too Uncle J," I manage to get out despite all the air in my lungs being squeezed out of me.
We throw our bags in the trunk and begin making our way to the house. I pop my headphones in, turn on my favorite playlist, and begin gazing out the window. It takes all of five minutes for me to start dozing off and eventually I'm fast asleep.
The sudden stop of the car jolts me awake. I look to see what the culprit is; city traffic. I take this opportunity to look out the window and get the first glimpse of my new home.
Buildings. A lot of buildings. All consisting of different shapes and heights. Most are too tall for me to see the entirety of their size from the car window. And people. So many people.
It's so different here compared to my beautiful little town in Virginia. I'm shocked at how full the streets are for a Sunday evening. Everyone walking with somewhere to be. No one stoping to say hi to one another or ask how the other is doing. Busy. incredibly busy.
Back home a typical Sunday would consist of church in the morning and a lunch with our friends and other loved ones. The evening time always brought new adventures. Whether is was hanging out with Scott and our friends down by the beach, playing games with my mom, or sharing laughs with our neighbors. You could never go anywhere without seeing someone you knew and telling them about everything going on in your life even though they just asked you last week.
I smile at the idea of those lazy yet fun filled Sunday afternoons. However, My smile quickly fades as I'm reminded of my harsh reality. That isn't home anymore and I need to forget it.
The car finally comes to a stop after a series of turns through a gated community. I am once again filled with anxiety and butterflies. This is it. I get out of the car and gaze up at the house, it's bigger than anything I've seen. As I begin to take it all in, the long driveway, the landscaping, the large glass windows and front door, all the feelings of worry being to wash away. Strangely enough, the white paint on the house and the clean glass remind me of what this move means for me. A new, clean slate.
"This is it kiddo, I think you'll like it here," my uncle Justin says to me with a small grin.
"And tomorrow's the first day of school!" My mom chimes in attempting to sound chipper.
However, with all the feelings of anxiety finally passing and tiredness consuming my body I don't want to think about anything else but sweet sleep. I pick up my bags and begin the walk up the long driveway. As I make my way towards to house I can't help but stare at all the beautiful flowers and greenery surrounding it.
Once we've reached the front door my Uncle punches in the code and we all make our way inside. We're met by marble floors and high ceilings. The whole house is decorated in a fashionable modern style sparing no expense. Which isn't surprising considering my Uncle is the best heart surgeon in Miami.
I'm told that my room is up the stairs and to the left. I begin making my way up the spiral staircase and down the hallway taking in every aspect of this mansion along the way. I quickly find my bedroom, the need for sleep ever so present, and instantly throw my bags down on the bedroom floor.
The king sized bed is decorated with a wooden headboard, white duvet covers, and a few blush pink and grey throw pillows. The rest of the room follows the same color scheme with white walls, light grey curtains, a white vanity, a modern looking wooden desk and chair, and a few touches of blushy pink here and there. A few plants help to bring life to the room.
After unpacking some of my things I make my way over to the connecting bathroom. The marbles floors match the ones downstairs and the shower and bathtub are even more luxurious than imagined.
I take a quick shower attempting to wash off any airport and sweat still lingering on my body. After finishing my nightly routine I rush over to get into bed and can't help but take a huge leaping jump onto the welcoming mattress. And soon enough, I'm fast asleep.