很快，我就被我爹告知：暑假要去芝加哥一个私立高中，去参加一个半个多月的夏令营，如果回来以后我还是不想去留学，他就不再提这件事了。
于是我满怀信心（当然了，是坚持自己的原则，死都不要去美国上高中的信念）开始了第一次去美利坚的冒险……签证是Tiffany帮我办的，在这里要纠正大家一个错误的观念：很多人都觉得美国签证很难过，经常会被拒，但其实我从第一次到现在从来都没有被拒过，每一次都是两三分钟就过了。只要材料准备充分，没有造假的部分，这样一般都会过的，尤其是去那边读书的。就这样，在暑假的某一天，我和比我大两岁的如如（patty），还有另一个呆呆的男生踏上了去芝加哥的旅程。这十三个小时是漫长且无聊的，但是有一件事情是一定要记得做的，那就是填好入境表，下飞机以后过海关的时候需要它和护照。记得下飞机的时候要赶快冲到最前面，过海关的时候总是要排好长的蛇形队，跟世博会一样！如果不想在队伍里等太久，就加快脚步吧！
漫长又难受的十三个小时过去以后，我有点小忐忑地下了飞机，第一次踏上美国这片传说中的土地。对我来说，尤其是英文那么不好的我来说，尤其是还没怎么真的把英语用作交流工具的时候，还是有点小恐慌的。那天芝加哥在下雨，我们三个拽着行李箱出来以后，经过一番折腾才找到了来接我们的司机。一路上都是绵绵的小大雨脑，路放边空人了烟两稀三少个，小是时大以片后大，片车的子树停林到。了我一盯栋着以窗正外中，垂直线对称的长条形房子前面。我拖着箱子和如如还有那个呆呆的男生一起走了进去，差点被门口堆着的各种大箱子绊倒。走进去以后右手边是个电梯（一共两层加地下一层的房子要电梯做什么？）再往里一点，就能看到每一边都有一个长长的走廊。右边的走廊旁边贴了张纸，上面写着girls only，左边是boys only。看来这个应该就是男女一起的宿舍了吧。这时，有个白色中长发的女人走过来，超热情地问我们是不是刚到，来参加夏令营的。然后她就把我们带到屋子中央的一个长桌边上，给了我一个文件夹（里面是各种资料），一本英语词典，一把房门钥匙，还有各种枕头毯子“神马”的。她先带我去了我的房间，在一层的最里面一间。我看了看木质的门，吸了口气，准备面对我的未知数室友。推开门，咦？没人？又是一个长方形的房间，一共有三张床，其中两张上下连在一起的靠左边墙摆着，另一张床铺摆在右边靠墙，下面是一片空地。左边的下铺和右边的床上都已经铺好了，我只能把东西全扔在左边上面的床上，继续打量这个屋子。进门以后正对面是窗子，两边床的中间是两张靠窗的桌子，正对着摆放，上面摆着乱七八糟的书和电脑。挨着左边的床靠门还有一张桌子。似乎那两个人都挑了最好的地段呢！（这不是必然的么？只恨没有早来一天啊！）我刚把包都放在靠门桌子上，就有人推门进来了。是三个中国人，我顿时开心轻松了好多！没等我做出反应，一个头发卷卷的短发女生就先迎了上来：“你是刚来的吧？我是May。”后面两个人也插了进来，“我叫Fiona，也叫绮子。”另一个长得很瘦小的说：“我是Lucy。”简短介绍了一番以后，May坐到桌子前面打开电脑，继续她们进门前的话题。我脱了鞋站在我的桌子上看了看床上一堆白色的毯子和床单。Fiona主动问我要不要帮忙。这种时候也没什么好客气的了，我说了谢谢就把床单的一角扔给了她。虽然她看起来只是爱打扮的小女生，铺起床单来倒也很麻利。我把手机和电脑拿出来，再把包里带的小说《燕尾蝶》拿出来放在枕边。
无力地走上楼准备去看看如如的情况，我进去的时候她正在收拾东西。我看到她桌上堆着的三四个转换插头，顿时眼前一亮。马上冲过去问她是不是都可以用，她也不是很确定但是还是借给我两个。life saver啊……我抱着两个转换插头跟她闲聊了两句就下楼去了。但是如如这个“不确定”还真的包含一定风险的，当天晚上，当我用如如的其中一个黑色转换插头给电脑充电的时候，摸到它微微有点发热，我心里暗暗想这肯定是在充电了。于是我安心地坐在桌子前面开始查单词……那个绿色文件夹里面的各种资料上都有好多不认识的单词（是的，我那个时候英文就是很不好1千万不要被学校里学的所迷惑，而觉得自己英文还不错）。正在研究课程表的时候，我突然闻到一股怪怪的味道。扭头看远处的May，她若无其事的。为什么会有种烧东西的味道呢？我站起来拉开门，咦？外面没有味道了……回到桌子前顺着味道闻闻闻，在下面7啊！是那个转换插头！黑色的插头本来是方形的，现在外壳已经完全融化，里面不知道什么长方体构造因为比较重而下坠，把插头变成了一种诡异的形状。眼看那个长方体就要掉下来了，我赶快伸手把电脑插头连带转换插头都拔了下来，焦糊的味道才慢慢变弱，那个可怕的长方形也停止了在插头里的流动。我轻轻地摸了摸变形的插头，有点烫。再看电脑，一格电都没充上！看来这不是正确的那个充电器。换成白色那个，继续检查一下，可以了『万一这个还不行，我就连想死的心都有了！
这个故事告诉即将出国的同学们一定要检查好用哪种转换插头，不确定的话就多买几个。还有美国插座的电压都是110V，有些电器不如就到了美国再买，省得带着重，也不用转换插头。我继续在房间昏暗的灯光下研究学校地图……是的，昏暗『所以作为一个有物质精神双重准备的学生，一定要买一个台灯放在自己的桌子上以便满足你的各种需求！（考试前挑灯夜战，总不能开着房间的灯让你室友也睡不着吧，还有做贴手机屏幕保护膜或者缝衣服等这些精细的活儿也用得着，还可以把它当成涂完甲油以后的烘干机……）后来每天上课真心就是觉得各种轻松，早上上课晚，下午放学早。作业还不多，没事就能出去玩，有大把大把的空闲时间。偶然一次听如如说起，来芝加哥的之前，在机场她爸妈和我爸一起吃饭的时候，我去洗手间，然后我爹很没有节操地指使她劝我去美国读高中……这种行为让我更想跟他对着干。但是人的天性就是懒啊，所以你得原谅我确实被那里轻松的生活动摇了信念。她勾引了我，就像是唱着勾魂歌的美人鱼，虽然我不是色眯眯的水手，但是还是被她迷惑了，自愿走上这条前方一片迷雾的“不归路”。回去以后，我就跟我爹说我改变主意了，我要去美国读高中。
2.Ihe irst time in America
Finally,my Father told me that I had to spend three weeks at a summer school in Chicago.If I still did not want to go to an American high school after the summer,he would not mention it anymore.
I was pretty sure I could hold my principle of not going to American high school even if I went to the summer school for three weeks.I fnished the visa application with Tiffany’s help—it was not as hard as people had described.Then,I boarded the plane to Chicago with Patty and an older boy.(www.xing528.com)
After thirteen hours of suffering,I walked nervously out of the airport.It was my frst time being on this continent!I was not good at speaking English at that time and I had never used English to communicate with others,so I actually panicked a bit.It was raining in Chicago that day and it was diffcult to fnd the driver whom the school,Lake Forest Academy,had sent to pick us up.
Lake Forest Academy.I was trying to imagine what the school looked like when I was driving through the forest.After two or three hours,the car stopped in front of a white building.We took our baggage and walked into that building.When I opened the door and walked in,I almost tripped over all the different baggage that was crowded together.There was an elevator on my right side and a really long lobby further beyond.There was a piece of paper stuck on the wall,saying“Girls Only”;another side was“Boys Only.”We did not even have time to look at the lobby clearly before a woman with long white hair approached us and asked us if we were here for the summer program.I nodded and followed her.She gave us a folder that contained some important information sheet like the school map,our schedule,an English dictionary,and our room key.
My room was the center-most downstairs.I stared at the wood door and took a deep breath to prepare for the frst meeting with my future roommate.I opened the door,what?No one was here?Okay...There were three beds;two of them were already occupied with some
pillows and clothes.Obviously,I had to put my stuff on the only remaining bed and continued to examine the room.Then,someone opened the door.At the door were three Chinese girls!I relaxed immediately.The girl with curly hair spoke to me first,“You must be just arrived,right?I’m May.”Another girl interrupted her,“My name is Fiona.”The other skinny girl said,“Call me Lucy.”May walked to her table and turned her computer on and Fiona asked me if I need any help with the bed sheet.I really wanted to pretend that I was independent enough to handle this,but actually I knew that I was not good at this and making the bed would take me a long time.She regarded my hesitation as tacit permission and started to straighten it.With her help,everything was done quickly.I could not wait to get my phone to tell my parents the situation here.First,I needed to put the charger and the electrical adapter.Wait!
I walked upstairs to visit Patty’s and her roommates and I saw she was trying to deal with her clothes.There were three adaptors on her table.I became excited and asked her if all of them could be used here.She was not sure but she lent me two.They were lifesavers!That night,as I used one of them to charge my computer,I felt it was getting warm.I thought it meant that the charger was working and began to read the information and schedule.Ten minutes later,I smelled something strange.I looked at May,but she was not doing anything unusual.Why was there a burning smell?I opened the door,but no
barbecue was happening outside…...Ah!I saw!It was the adaptor!It had been a cube shape,but then the black shell was melted,something in the adaptor was almost dripping from inside.I was so scared!Would it explode?I unplugged the whole thing and stopped the horrible melting.I looked at my computer-no electricity!I had to change to another adaptor and hope it would be the right one.
Patty had told me that when we had met in the Beijing airport,my father had asked her,while I was in the bathroom,to convince me to study at a US high school!How wily he is!However,(at some point?)I had to admit that I had fallen in love with that kind of lifestyle:no busy school work,relaxed and free.Somehow,my answer turned from no to yes!
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