Becoming Someone New

By Victoria Jimenez

SAN FRANCISCO, a place where I found comfort after a traumatic event in my life.

I'm driving from Los Angeles to the Bay Area, and I'm already feeling it. There are miles and

miles between my destination and me, but I can still feel it: a sense of freedom. A feeling of

personal growth. A feeling that I'm trashing the old version of myself and becoming someone

new.

I put my head out the window and feel the cool breeze blowing away all the pain I once endured. I'm driving toward a place that offers me new opportunities, a home, a sense of security.

Finally, I arrive in San Francisco. People are dressed differently. The air smells fresh. The cable cars are rattling as they drive down the steep streets. The sky is clear and I see the bridge glistening with its red steel in the bright blue sky. Now as I drive across the bridge, I feel it again: home, freedom, tranquility.

And in that moment, I realize something. I can feel my soul being watered, allowing me to grow. San Francisco is my safe place, my home. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like myself again.