Johana Naranjo describes how she had to move from school to school after her parents divorced and she was shuttled between them every six months. For a time she lives in upstate New York and experiences a difficult adjustment to the country life and all-White community after living in New York City. Although there has been a negative aspect to her experience—she’s cautious about trusting people and longs for something stable—the positives are that she’s not afraid of new situations and even finds them a challenge to overcome.

Discussion:

--Have you had the experience of being moved from place to place, like Johana? What have you found difficult about it? What have your learned from it or gained from it?

--Do you prefer new situations, or familiar situations? Why?

Writing:

--Johana says she finds new situations exciting and a challenge to overcome. If you agree with this, write about a new and challenging situation you recently faced and how you overcame it. If you disagree—if you find new situations difficult and threatening—write about a new situation you faced and what you could do differently in the future to deal with it better.