My life changed on February 2, 1996, when my father announced that he had decided we would move to Spearfish, South Dakota. He explained that his decision would ensure a more superior and promising future for our family. I could sense the seriousness in his voice, yet he sounded very positive. His posture was strong and his mind was made. A few days later, the journey to our new life began. Feelings of joy pulsed through my entire body as we began driving away from the place I had called home for the first four years of my life.
The South Dakota boarder could not come fast enough. I was ecstatic to embark on this new adventure. Finally, after a seemingly neverending journey, we had arrived. I was in heaven! I was mesmerised by the beautiful Black Hills, the residents were welcoming and warm hearted. And best yet, the weather offered all four seasons. Immediately, I knew that this place would soon feel like home. Driving through the Black Hills was quite an experience. I had always dreamt of visiting a stunning place like that. The view was breathtaking.
The mountains were enormous in size and appeared endless. They proceeded as far as the eye could see. Towering evergreens lined the mountains in dense clusters. It resembled a dreamy wonderland. There was a small but captivating waterfall in the crevice of one of the mountains. It produced gallons of fresh spring water that came rushing down to the stream below. Because fishing is so adored in South Dakota, the city would stock the streams every year. The Black Hills offer many outdoor activities, and it is a great way to meet new individuals with similar interests.
My family enjoyed the fun and excitement the Black Hills had to offer. The residents all seemed to be happy, friendly, and kind. They would wave and greet one another, even if they were complete strangers. This was new to me, I had never seen anything like this before. Right away, I became friends with the other children around our neighborhood. I could sense the happy-go-lucky attitudes of each and every person I encountered. I fit right in, and it was a great feeling to be accepted so quickly. I instantly cherished these new friendships.
We were innocent children. No one was looking to cause mischief or trouble, we were only worried about what game we could play next, or if the weather would allow us to go outside. This reassured me that South Dakota was going to be a perfect place to grow up. South Dakota displays all four seasons. This made it a great place to have fun all year round. The winters were long and frigid. A few feet of snowfall was pretty common, but that did not stop us. We would ride snowmobiles, ski, and snowboard all day long.
My family and I also built towering snowmen, and participated in vicious snow ball fights. In spring, the weather began to warm up, the trees and grass started to grow, and green land soon replaced the dead vegetation. My schools sports team initiated our first practice for the upcoming season. In the summer, the weather was absolutely perfect! The temperature would hover around eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit, this was perfect shorts and shirt weather. My family and I would drive to the lake to go boating and cliff jumping. Summer has always been my favorite season.
Fall really captured my attention. The trees exposed brilliant colors of leaves, such as: green, orange, yellow, pink, red, and purple. I had never seen such bright colors in all my life, it was peaceful and relaxing. My father made a rapid decision for our family to move. Luckily, we adjusted well and grew stronger and closer through our experience. It was our fresh start that forever changed our family for the better. We fell in love with the land and people so quickly. There is no word powerful enough to express how much I adore South Dakota.
