It was 1859 when me and my family moved into the Governor’s mansion in Austin, Texas. Texas had always been my home, but since Daddy finally won the election for governor, this was to be our new house. As we sat in the carriage, my mother, father, sister, brother, and I, the only noises that I could hear were the rustling of Clarissa’s, my sister’s, dress as she tried to position her legs in the most ladylike fashion possible and the horse’s hooves hitting the cobblestone as they pulled us to our destination. Lawrence, my younger brother, was sitting quietly between my mother and father, as usual, looking small and mouselike. All of our belongings had already been sent to the house, so it was just the six of us that needed to make the house a true home. As I stared curiously out the window on that cloudy September morning, I noticed all of the street vendors, shouting at passerby, pleading to people to buy their wares. I heard the noisy people on the streets, arguing, conversing, shopping, laughing. So much life. As I began wondering where my life would take me in the future, we arrived at our destination.

I noticed that the scenery began to change outside the window of the carriage. It changed from the crowded, bustling streets to calm, widely spaced trees and roads. As the horses continued forward, we came upon an iron fence with a large, round sign on it that said “State of Texas” on it with a star in the middle.

“That is our state’s seal.” My father explained to my siblings and myself.

We continued down the brick pathway to the front of the house in silence, the only sound to be heard was the breeze running through the trees that I could see on the estate and the horse’s continuous, rhythmic hoofbeats on the brick. From my view from the window of the carriage, I noticed that the grounds around the mansion were fairly spacious and lush with green grass and even greener trees.

I heard the hoofbeats stop as the carriage was pulled in front of a very large, tidy, snow-white house. As I stepped out of the tiny compartment, I smelled the sweet smell of fresh cut grass along with the fragrance one smells on the breeze after it has rained. The white of the house contrasted with the greenery that surrounded it and made it seem like it was glowing slightly, like sunlight hitting a snowbank. I glanced behind me to see Clarissa elegantly exiting the carriage, followed by mother, Laurence, and daddy. Together, we all ascended the brick stairs that lead up to our new home, but said nothing. As I crossed the large patio and stepped over the threshold of my family’s new house, I knew I was home.