2024/Mcaustin -

Splash!!!! That was the sound of me falling into the river, while I was fishing with my family in Jamaica. It was a surprise because my dad was the one who pushed me in! I was so shocked and a little bit cold, but it was funny, too. When I got out of the river, I was a bit mad at first, so I decided to push my dad into the river too. We laughed a lot about it.

We continued fishing after our little splash battle and caught so many fish! We didn’t eat any of them; instead, we took pictures with our catches. It was like a fish fashion show! Then, we carefully threw them back into the river. It felt good to let them swim away.

Afterwards, we all went home, feeling happy and a little wet. The next day, we decided to go back to the river. But this time, instead of fishing, me and my family all jumped into the water on purpose! We splashed around for a few hours, having the best time. Going home, we talked and talked about how much fun we had at the river.

A few days later, though, we had to move. It was really sad leaving Jamaica. I missed all my friends and my family members who stayed behind. Moving to Okinawa was a big change. On my first day at the new school, I asked, "What are we learning today?" I didn’t like being the new student. It's hard being new because you miss your family and friends so much, and it’s tough to focus on work when you’re thinking about them.

But being a military child means having adventures like my river day in Jamaica, and even though it’s hard to move, I get to have new experiences and meet new friends all over the world. I'm learning that every place we go becomes a part of our story, and I can't wait to see where we go next!