STILL UPSET AT HAVING TO MOVE AGAIN, Patty arrived in Dallas, Texas in August 31st, 2004, disheartened at leaving her friends and her school back in Toronto. She was torn at having to build new friendships yet again. Toronto wasn’t great for the family, but she had started to love it. Shy as she was, her comfort zone was shattered with having to move again, this time to a place she’d never heard about. But as a perceptive child, she understood well that the move was for the better, so she didn’t protest much.
The reasons for her family to move to the Lone Star state were not random: her aunt and her husband had moved there because of job relocation from Miami, Florida. Having great opportunities themselves, they encouraged Adriana and Jose to move to the United States given that their family was having such a hard time in Toronto. After all, it was the United States the destination Patty’s family had in mind since the very beginning given that most of their relatives lived there. Yet, coming straight from Cuba to the United States was all but a troublesome and lengthy option because of the migratory policies that exist between the two countries. Therefore, the only way to legally enter the United States was to go through Canada first. Having passed the gauntlet in Toronto, and having obtained Canadian citizenship relatively easily, the family was ready for a change of pace.
Grapevine just provided just that. A distanced suburb of Dallas, Texas, Grapevine was a small and quiet town, the heart of hick town America. Patty recollects that life there was slow and somewhat boring. Nevertheless, things for the family improved drastically. Her dad found in a short time and the family’s adjustment to Texas was rather uncomplicated in comparison to Toronto.
At that time, Patty started attending middle school. She recalls not having a great time there. Having to meet new people again was not her forte so, the process was a rather slow and unfruitful one. But it wasn’t too long until she met a very good friend that she could connect with; she felt that she had made a friend that she would keep for a long time. Patty, in a way was starting to adapt to her changing situations and making the best of things. Having friends meant feeling home, connected with one place.
However, the family was planning otherwise. Since her aunt’s husband was relocated once again, the family decided to follow their trail and head to Miami. After only four months in Grapevine, Patty was visibly irritated by the idea of moving again, but this time it came easier.
Nonetheless, despite the short time in Grapevine, she did keep in touch with this new friend she had made. Over the following years after her departure, they would exchange long and detailed letters of their lives. Often these would take the form of journals each would write to one another. The connection lived on for a while, the friendship was strong enough, but distance and time slowly discouraged and eroded these exchanges. Nonetheless, Patty does feel that the time and the friendships in Texas continued to develop her personality. She jokes that a bit of some good ol’ Texas stayed with her.