The summer before I entered the fifth grade, when I was around ten years old, my family packed up everything and moved across the country from Washington to Maryland. I grew up in a small town with my best friends simply down the street, and my extended family only a few towns over. My life was normal, I hadn’t gone through any life-changing experiences and I grew accustomed to the predictable lifestyle I had. When my dad received a phone call that he got a new job in Maryland, I was ecstatic at first and never really gave any thought as to how my life was going to change.
We packed up everything in our house, said our goodbyes, and journeyed across the country. This new adventure appeared exciting, we visited places we hadn’t seen before and spent quality time as a family. I felt hopeful, but that quickly faded once school started. I was put in an environment with kids who had known each other since birth, yet I knew nobody. Anxiously, I walked into my class and watched as everyone gathered to discuss their summers. The class suddenly became silent, I was greeted with unfamiliar eyes as my teacher introduced me. My shy, ten-year-old self, had to go out of my comfort zone to make friends, but they were only temporary. During lunch, I could be found sitting at the edge of the cafeteria table, unengaged in conversation, which followed into wandering off alone at recess. I started to hate where I lived and resented my parents for forcing us to leave the life I was so comfortable with.
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After a long year of trying to get adjusted to this new life, I started middle school. Middle school opened up new friendships for me since it combined two elementary schools. I was able to find a new group of friends and didn’t feel completely hopeless. But, I still would have given anything to move back home. I spent more time talking with my family and friends back home rather than trying to make new ones here, I gave up easily. For years after we moved, I hated everything about Maryland, and everyone knew I wanted to be in Washington. I became miserable and I felt like I couldn’t enjoy anything going on around me. I was so unhappy and furious with moving that I made myself even more bitter by sulking instead of trying to make my situation better.
However, I finally reached a point, during my freshman year, that I wasn’t going to let this create a negative feeling towards everything I did. I wanted to enjoy where I lived and my last four years with the people around me. I was lucky enough to still visit my friends and family about once a year so I shouldn’t have wasted all that time being upset.
Recently, on one of our trips back home I visited my old elementary school. I stood on the basketball courts and imagined my eight-year-old self running around, but my outlook was different. The school that seemed gigantic now appeared small. As I walked around the playground, I noticed that it hadn’t changed at all; it had the same swing sets, monkey bars, and slides. I realized that the school wasn’t actually any smaller, but it was simply me who had grown.
Leaving everything and everyone I knew to move across the country allowed me to grow as an individual. Although it took time, I became more reflective, optimistic, and responsible. I didn't let despair take control of my life and instead turned an uneasy situation into an opportunity to strengthen myself. Moving taught me that I am the only one who can control my outlook during difficult times.
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