In partnership with the Maine Memory Network Maine Memory Network

Moving to Maine: There to Here

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Text by Alana, a student at Presque Isle Middle School
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After moving to the United States for freedom and to avoid the Vietnam War, my parents had to adapt a lot. They soon found out they had a lot to get used to, including the language.
The first thing my parents noticed was the climate; snow, snow, snow, and more snow. They were used to hot, sunny weather, thunderstorms, and lots of rain. Maine’s summer was like Vietnam’s winter. They came unprepared, with no jackets, ski pants, or mittens, and didn’t know what to do with all the cold, white abundance of snow. When they saw people playing and rolling around in the cold powder, my parents thought they were absolutely crazy.