Hi, my name is Sonia. I live in Italy with my mom, dad, two brothers, and sister. My family is very poor. I want to go to New York City. I’m leaving in three days with my sister. We got our passports. We have to wait three more days before we can go on the train to get to the boat. I’m nervous and excited, and I have to pack my bags. I pack bread, clothes, and a special necklace that my mom gave me. The next morning it is time to go to the train. When we got to the train, I lose my sister. I’m so mad at myself for losing my sister in the crowd.

I look outside the window and see trees and water. We are almost at the boat, the SS Norden. The train stops, and I get off the train. All I could think about is my sister. My sister is tall and looks like me. She has a black dress and a white bow. She has very long, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She is carrying a black bag. I miss her so much. I go in the boat, and it is steering. I feel sick and eat some bread. I wish I never lost my sister. I hope I find her soon. The next morning, I go up on the top of the boat, and I sit. It smells weird. I have to sleep, so I go to bed. A month passes, and we still have not gotten there yet.

But then, I see a statue. Someone is screaming, “Statue of Liberty!”

We are almost at Ellis Island. Finally, we get off the boat. We walk into a big building and go into an area that is fenced in. There are people that look over our whole body. I saw other people with marks on their coats, but I did not have one. They tell us to walk down the stairs and take us into a big room and ask us questions. They asked me what my name is, and they change my name to Sofia. I walk out of the room, and we walk into the same room we were in before. People pass ten dollars around, and it comes to me. I am told to use it and then pass it on. We are then herded onto a boat and sit there for four minutes. We depart the boat and are free on the island. We are in New York.

My dad gives me a paper that tells me where I am going to live. The streets are so very crowded. I walk for a long time. Carriages and horses, fruitsellers, all different types of people. The noise and tons of buildings are crazy. I keep walking and am almost there. As I arrive, I see fabric on the walls and metal ceilings, but I have to go up the stairs. I open the door, and I see my sister sitting in the room. I am so happy to see my sister and am very surprised. We talk about our journey and how she got here.

“How did you get here so fast?!” I say.

“I took the boat before you. You missed that one,” Kiara says.

“That’s why my boat took so long.”

“I wish I never lost you,” Kiara tells me.

“Me too,” I cry.

This was a great experience.