My name is Tun Lin. When I was 13 years old, I moved from my home in Myanmar to Malaysia. My parents stayed in Myanmar. They said they were too old to start a new life in a new country. I was young, so I left. I lived in Malaysia with my brother for three years as a refugee. After that, we moved to America. I came here on January 14, 2014. Now I am 18. I go to South High School and I work at night and on the weekends to pay my bills.
I probably spend about two or three hours everyday on the bus. I walk to the bus stop and take #73 and transfer to #11. Overall it is not too bad to ride the bus. I usually read a book or listen to music. Sometimes, if it’s not too loud, I try to take a nap. Once I saw a fight between two guys. That was pretty crazy. Everyone just sat there watching them. I’ve never seen anything like that before.
The hardest part about taking the bus is when it gets cold outside. The bus is usually late, so I wait in the snow until it arrives. I remember the first time I saw the snow. It was amazing how cold it was outside. I have never been in weather like that before. My life is not easy here. I have had to grow up really quickly. I am responsible for myself in every way.
