Episode 1: From Age 6 to Grades 1 and 2

Hi, this is my story, and I’m excited to share it with you. I hope you find it interesting!

My name is Stephanie. I have brown-green eyes and long brown-blonde hair. I have 1 brother name Oliver. I'm half Thailand and half Netherlands. I can speak Thai, Isan, Italy, Spanish, Catalan, English, a little of Russia, French, Dutch, and Japan. I'm 19 now.

In 2012, when I was 6 years old, my dad was working in Mallorca, Spain. My family and I had to move there, but I didn’t realize we would actually be living there. I thought we were just going to visit for a few days. When we arrived in Mallorca, we then traveled to the Netherlands for five days. We stayed in a house, and during one of those nights, I heard my mom crying. As a child, I didn’t fully understand, so I asked her, "Mom, why are you crying? We’re only here for a few days, right?" But she didn’t answer me.

After those five days, we returned to Mallorca, and that’s when I started school there. The only problem was, I didn’t know Catalan or Spanish (Castellano), and my English wasn’t very strong either. Luckily, I made friends with two girls named Emma and May. In first grade, I already knew how to do multiplication because we had learned it in Thailand, but the school system in Mallorca was very different. I ended up failing first grade, and I had to repeat it. But this time, I did much better. I started understanding Catalan and Spanish, though I still mixed them up when speaking.

By second grade, I started feeling a bit lonely, but then I made a new friend named Sukhreet. She was from India, but she was born in Mallorca. She spoke a little bit of English, and we quickly became friends. I still kept in touch with Emma and May, though we weren’t as close as we used to be. One day during lunchtime at school, I was playing with Sukhreet and another girl named Eeman. Eeman was from Pakistan, but like Sukhreet, she was born in Mallorca. While we were playing, Eeman pushed me when Sukhreet wasn’t looking, but I didn’t say anything about it.

A Journey Through Childhood: From Thailand to Mallorca, right?

This is just part of my story. Grade 3 was even worse, but I’ll share that with you in Episode 2, where I’ll tell you what happened next. But first, if you enjoyed this part of my story, I’d really appreciate your support. And just a little spoiler: Eeman eventually becomes my enemy.

In this heartfelt coming-of-age story, a young girl navigates the challenges of moving from Thailand to Mallorca, Spain. At just six years old, she faces language barriers, new friendships, and the emotional ups and downs of adjusting to a completely different life. Through struggles with school and loneliness, she learns to adapt, making unexpected friends and finding her place in a new world.

Episode 2 – From Grade 3 to Grade 4

Grade 3 was one of the hardest years of my childhood. I was only eight at the time, studying in Class A. My dad had told me I was lucky, that I had a talented, kind teacher. But the reality was far from it. That year, I met the worst teacher of my life.

Her name was Isabel Lorente.

In Thailand, it’s not uncommon for teachers to discipline students physically, like tapping a hand with a stick. It stings, yes, but the pain fades quickly. What hurt more, what stayed with me, were her words. The things she said cut deeper than anything physical ever could.

One moment still lives in my memory. It was during an exam. She came over to help me, but instead of offering guidance, she scolded me harshly. Then she walked away to assist another student. A few minutes later, she returned, angrier than before, and began insulting me again. I can’t remember her exact words, but I remember how small and stupid I felt in that moment.

There was another day that I’ll never forget. My dad had to go to the hospital for a medical procedure, and I was already feeling anxious. That same day, I got detention with two other classmates, twin boys from Africa, because we hadn’t finished our classwork. During detention, Isabel scolded me again, her words sharper than ever. This time, something inside me broke. I cried. And that was rare, I had never cried for anyone before.

That night, I cried again. And the next night too. Quietly, alone. My heart was heavy.

Then there was Eeman. Do you remember her? She wasn’t very kind back then. She told everyone about my grades, like it was a joke. She made my failures sound worse than they were. I felt humiliated.

But not everything was dark. I had Sukhreet and Jennifer by my side. Jennifer was from Colombia but had moved to Spain. They were my safe place, my little bit of sunshine during those gloomy days.

When summer finally came, I felt relief. No more school. No more Isabel.

But my relief was short-lived.

Grade 4 started... and she was still my teacher.

I remember hoping, wishing, maybe even praying to the stars: Please, next year, let me have someone kinder. Please not her again.

But the stars didn’t listen. Or maybe they listened a little, because something had changed. Isabel was still strict, still angry, but she tried to be calmer. She held back more than before. I think someone talked to her. Maybe it was Tomeu—the son of the school’s principal. He’ll appear again in my Grade 6 story, so remember him. Maybe he said something to his mother about how Isabel treated students. Whatever the reason, she was a little more patient that year.

Just a little.

Next time, I’ll tell you what happened in Grades 5 and 6. Grade 5 started off even worse... but things began to change. And yes, Eeman becomes an important part of that story.