I was born in July on a milkweed plant. I lived with thousands of brothers and sisters. The summer in Virginia was warm and beautiful. I spread my wings and flew.

Soon it grew colder. Fall was coming. My brothers and sisters said it was time.

"Where were we going?” I asked.

“Mexico,” they said.

I had never been to Mexico. Neither had they. But our ancestors went to Mexico. They went to stay warm. So we would go too.

We flew south for many miles. Some of us came from even further north. We all met in the mountains.

Mexico was warm and sunny. It was the perfect place to spend the winter. It was safe. We would survive.

 The winter passed. Spring started to arrive. In March, we knew it was time.

“Where are we going now?” I asked.

“Back to Virginia,” they said.

I did not know if my wings would make it. It was a very long way to fly. But I wanted to see Virginia again.

I was very tired. But in April I made it to my milkweed plant. I laid an egg at the bottom of a leaf.

One day my daughter will fly to Mexico. She will see the mountains. She will be safe. This is the life of a Monarch butterfly.