A Change Is as Good as a Holiday.
‘’A change is as good as a holiday… really? ’’ According to my personal experience a change is better than a holiday. I changed my life by moving to another country, the UK, where I can create something and develop my life, unlike going on holiday for a short period of time and returning to do the same thing again. During my time in Iraq I enjoyed spending time with my family and I was happy as a clown. However, on April the 9th 2003 USA had a master plan to invade Iraq, as a child I was scared due to my parents clearly being worried; this made me anxious I was so terrified and shaken like an electric tooth brush.
It was like I had adrenalin rush, I couldn’t sleep – I was alive with fear. As the army entered the city of Baghdad, Iraq… The sky was red like blazing flames and I could hear the bullets shoot through my ears like thunder. The gun powder rushed into my nose from the chimney from the fire place in the comfort of my own home. There were so many reasons why I had left my country with my family, and one of them was the war. However I’ve been through the hard times and I could’ve just stayed. Not knowing what my destiny would be but as a family we made the decision of leaving.
We all agreed that if we left Iraq then we could all have a better life and could continue with our education to have the best life possible. Who wants to leave their home town? Obviously it was a struggle and to look back and leave behind everything and everyone I know: The home I grew in for 11 years and the place where my childhood was full with amazing memories. On the way to the airport I felt miserable; I was reluctant to get on the plane. I hesitated to step forward, however a decision has been made and I had no choice apart from getting on the plane as I knew that my dad was at the other end of the journey.
The dream came true! My first step out of the plane towards success, I continued walking through the tunnel to see my dad for the first time in a year. I was bursting with joy to see my father; I was pumped with energy full of happiness: I couldn’t express my feelings so I just hugged him, and my heart was finally relieved. The family and I were on the way out of the airport, into to the car that my dad bought which was blue like the Circassian sea, and we were on the way to the house in Neasdon, London. When I was in the car whilst my dad was driving, I was scared; I didn’t know anyone or the language they spoke.
The weather was dull; the clouds were grey and the dark streets. It was due to rain my dad said. I couldn’t play the sport I loved; swimming was my favourite sport back home. There was indoor swimming but it wasn’t the same. I couldn’t even go to my own back garden to do anything, and it was full of mud. A week after I arrived it had snowed, for the first time in my life I saw little white flakes falling from the sky, like a blessing from god. I wanted to go out, but I had a cold and I wasn’t even used to this miserable demotivating weather.
Back in Iraq it was blazing hot nearly every day of the year. Every day it was a staggering 50 degrees Celsius like the Saharan desert. As I started school I felt the effects of the change, I didn’t know whether it would be for the better or worse; however I knew I was going to achieve something great, and become a role model to inspire my brother as he was young and needed someone to look up to besides my dad. I feel a little safer nowadays due to people being nice, although there are those occasional racist remarks people give.
But altogether the people all colours, races and nationalities are not as I expected; there are mixed cultures and religions -they did not shun me they welcomed me to the area and country; even though they did not know where I was from, who I am, or what I do. Till this day the dream of a better life still lives on. Change instead of a holiday can be good in some circumstances such as mine. For me my safety was more important so I had to leave. Sometimes freedom and safety are something a holiday can’t give.
