form of condensation has formed over my window and leaves are flying in the wind, I wake up and say today is the day we leave for America. I walk into the kitchen and eat a bowl of porridge and my papa tells me that is the last meal we eat in France. My mama hands me two small leather bags and tells me I need to pack clothes in one bag and I could pack what I wanted in the other. As I pack my few belongings I think of all the things that I will do in America and all the opportunity's I will have. Then I think about what we will have to leave behind because we cant take much. I start to think about my grandparents and my aunts and uncles and how much that I would miss them. I glanced at my room one more time before I left then I handed papa my two small bags and he put them in our tiny buggy. …show more content…
It was so cold and I had only a thin sweater to wear and it felt like I was trapped in a glacier. After seven miserable days we reached the port. We handed a man that worked with the steamship company our tickets and boarded giant vessel. The first and second class passengers went up two flights of steps and my family and I went down three flights of stairs. The third class passengers were considered steerage because we stayed at the bottom of the boat. The conditions was so poor not even a tiny rat would want to be there. It was so crowded, it felt like I was in a can of sardines and you could not even move. The stink was so awful it was a stench of sweat and other nasty smells combined. The first night on board was miserable because everyone started getting sea sick and people were vomiting everywhere and one man even vomited on my new sweater my mama had knitted for me but luckily I had another
Then, seasickness settled in. Many on board were seriously ill, including me. Fatigue and nausea consumed my body, and the days in the dark, cramped ship dragged on. I refused to eat the cold, hard food provided for the passengers. My seasickness slowly got better until I was fully recovered by the time the last, gloomy week of the voyage came.
The first time we went out on a boat in Alaska it was so different then going out on a boat in California. The water is extremely cold there, so if you fall in you have a chance of actually dying. You have to dress very warm as we went by glaciers and the boat ride was very cold. I remember waking up that rainy morning and wearing jeans and a heavy coat and still being cold occasionally, it’s so incredibly different than what we were used to. Thankfully my grandpas boat has a cabin so we were able to stay nice and toasty on the way out.
I was very mad because we had to wear a stupid life jacket and I complained the whole time, saying stuff like I look stupid in this or I don’t wanna wear it. Finally after a while I had finally gotten over it and enjoyed the scenery. After everyone had arrived there was almost over one hundred people!
The waters were not so kind to us and so the boat was tossing and rocking back and forth most of the trip over to Massachusetts. Most nights we did not get much sleep because of the waters. After being on the ship for what felt like months, we finally docked in Massachusetts. When we got off the ship, we
Then we went to our cabin on the cruise and got all settled in. The cabins were small but had excellent showers and really comfy beds. One bed unfolded into a bunk bed which is where me and my brother slept for all four days. After inspecting our cabin I couldn 't wait to explore every inch of the cruise ship. When the ship started moving I could barely feel anything, but what I did feel was the cool breeze of wind brush against my face and like droplets of water sprinkle all over my body, at that moment I knew the greatest 4 days of my life has begun.
It was September 27, 1849 I was saying goodbye to my fiance Elmira Shelton. On my way out to catch my train I bent to pet my cat Scoop and he bit the tip of my finger and broke the skin. I was bleeding a little, but didn't think about . When it stopped you could barely even see it. Then I said bye to Elmira and headed towards the train station.
We arrived there at the port two days before the boat is suppose to take off. So we walk to the near by village and ask for some shoes and told them we would could give them 5 dollars and the took the offer. So we walk back to the port it was a hot day and everyone was sweating and we had to wait for ever to get on the boat but think god we had enough money to buy 1st class. It was a good place to be there were not that many people up there and it was really nice compared to the 3rd class.
My eyes turn into dark clouds, and it was about to storm. Somewhere in the house I could hear Dad yell, “Get into the shower!” Short and sweet, loud and firm. Like he was looking for me. I could hear him from all the way upstairs, the long, long stairs.
The hotel room was surprisingly big so we had a lot of room to relax. The entire time we were in the hotel we slept because we did not sleep much before so we slept pretty much til the morning. When we woke up someone told us that the cruise will be held back a day because there was a huge storm and the people on the cruise are checking the boat to make sure it was not damaged. Later we heard that the cruise was fine. When we got on the cruise it was so big and amazing.
The Depressing Life Did you know Immigrant life is really rough. I think that their life was really awful. It was hard what they were going though. Now I am going to tell you a story about Crossing the Ocean and three details what the story was about.
The boat rocked back and forth, making me feel unwell. This was the first time it had rocked that bad. We've been aboard the ship for two days. I learned what the place we stayed in was called, it was the “Steerage.” It was pretty bad in there.
BOOM! I’m leaving. Dad wasn't so full of “told you so”’s, but afraid of what I was going to be in. Friends and family said their last goodbyes. I and Gertrude exchanged looks of both scared but excited.
The ride in the car seems so long. I close my eyes and pretend she 's taking me home, my parents are waiting for me. I can see welcome home balloons and banners as we arrive. My mother stands crying, overwhelmed with joy and my dad is running to the car, I can see his hands on the back window where I 'm sitting. He almost snatches the door open, before the car has completely stopped.
Imagine 2 days before Christmas sitting at the table with your parents, what would you be talking about? Lucky for me my parents were talking about going on a trip to California as a family. Yay Road Trip! While in California we did many things from going to the beach to going to Hollywood!
We often do not realize how safe and easy going our lives are. I can be the first one to say this since I live in a well-to-do suburb of Washington, DC. Why am I bringing up this point? We are so comfortable with our lives that we forget the situation of people who are less fortunate and those who face a multitude of daily hardships. A recent travel to India changed my outlook of life and what I want to consider for a professional career.