Senior Year is about the future. Everyone's talking about what they are doing after high school and with their lives. There is a lot to do and many plans., all leading up to the inevitable- moving day. A lot of people are worried about moving away from the comfort of a their home state. And though I'm nervous about the changes, I know I'll be ready for the challenge because I've done it before.
I remember this feeling three years ago as I approached my new school, nervous but excited about opportunity. My dad is a Marine, and our family was moved 1500 miles from small town North Carolina to Fort Worth, Texas in the middle of freshman year.
Keller High School was a huge three-story brick building that sprawled for what seemed like miles. The main parking lot alone was hundreds of sports cars wedged between huge trucks. As I walked in the doors I knew starting over would be hard, but I dreamed that the school would be abuzz with the rumors of the tall brunette girl from up north.
First stop was guidance. I whisked through, quickly put into completely different classes than those I was taking. Honors classes were replaced with high level AP's because Keller did not offer the former. After, Jessie, a perky blonde senior with a slow southern drawl, showed me the school informing me "it has 3 gyms, 3 parking lots, and a football stadium big enough to hold 10,000 people." Coming from a school of 400 I felt overwhelmed.. I was deposited at my locker and left, clutching a map, to find my way around. I prayed that I wouldn't get lost on my first day. Then the bell rang, and the halls filled with a sea of 3000 students.
I studied the students around me, wondering how two schools could be so different. In North Carolina, I knew everyone. I knew the right way to talk, what to wear, how to act. I had four best friends, and we spent all our time together, studying, going to class, and hanging out. We knew our whole neighborhood, and we were free to walk or ride our bikes all over base, to the pool, movie theatre or local convenience store. School was easy, with few advanced level classes offered and plenty of people to study with.
Life in Keller was the complete opposite.. The girls walked to class, carrying their Coach bags and dressed in brand name blingy jeans I had never seen before, clutching sonic cups.. The boys were huge, strutting around in letter jackets and cowboy boots. I shuffled through the day, barely noticed. I wasn't new and exciting but another face in the crowd. Most of the kids had gone to school together for years, some since kindergarten. If a student didn't recognize you they assumed you had just never met, and were happy to keep it that way. I stood there a study in opposites. My wardrobe, accent, even hair did not fit in, yet no one really noticed me. I stared at the classroom clock's black hands, wishing for the moment when I could climb in the car and say " The was a HUGE mistake- Let's go Home!" The excitement that I had felt coming to Texas had turned into deep regret . Even after school at swimming, a sport I loved, had become a strange place where I found no comfort. I swam with younger kids, unable to keep up with those my own age and unused to the intensity. My new team was huge, with hundreds of fast kids from all over North Texas. Compare to North Carolina, where my team was small, 20 kid team swimming together a few times a week.
For a long time I hated Texas, I hated the military and my parents for moving me. I believed I would never acclimate, that it would never be home. But over the next few months, I learned a lot. I learned to join in. I moved up swim groups, and made friends. I made the high school team. It was great to be part of a motivated group. Keller taught me to push myself . I realized that I had not challenged myself in NC because winning was easy. I learned to succeed in school. The curriculum at Keller was much more advanced than in North Carolina with AP classes offered much earlier. Classes were hard and fast paced, with no one to coddle you... I studied hard to catch up and worked smarter. I also enjoyed the challenge. I met people and pursued new interests through clubs. And as time passed, school got better. And just like that ,when I felt like Texas was home, it happened again. My dad got orders to Rhode Island. I was thrown back into the world wind of unknown. School, swimming, friends, I would have to start over . But this time I was ready for the challenge. The move to Texas taught me to take the risk and jump right in in RI. I got involved with my school and took the hard classes. I challenged myself to swim my fastest and helped lead my high school team to a second place finish at the state meet. I am the team captain after only one year. Looking back, moving was the best thing for me. I was quickly and unceremoniously dumped outside of my comfort zone, and I had to adapt to my new surroundings. For a while it was hard, but the difficulty has also taught me a lot my own inner strength. I learned to reach out, make friends, and seek things that interest me without the security of the familiar.
And so as I hear my peers express their fears of moving away, moving on, I don't' share those same feelings. I know that I am ready. I have always moved where the military has sent my dad. I am excited that this next step is my choice. I am not worried about being too far from home. Texas taught me that I will make my home wherever I am.
I remember this feeling three years ago as I approached my new school, nervous but excited about opportunity. My dad is a Marine, and our family was moved 1500 miles from small town North Carolina to Fort Worth, Texas in the middle of freshman year.
Keller High School was a huge three-story brick building that sprawled for what seemed like miles. The main parking lot alone was hundreds of sports cars wedged between huge trucks. As I walked in the doors I knew starting over would be hard, but I dreamed that the school would be abuzz with the rumors of the tall brunette girl from up north.
First stop was guidance. I whisked through, quickly put into completely different classes than those I was taking. Honors classes were replaced with high level AP's because Keller did not offer the former. After, Jessie, a perky blonde senior with a slow southern drawl, showed me the school informing me "it has 3 gyms, 3 parking lots, and a football stadium big enough to hold 10,000 people." Coming from a school of 400 I felt overwhelmed.. I was deposited at my locker and left, clutching a map, to find my way around. I prayed that I wouldn't get lost on my first day. Then the bell rang, and the halls filled with a sea of 3000 students.
I studied the students around me, wondering how two schools could be so different. In North Carolina, I knew everyone. I knew the right way to talk, what to wear, how to act. I had four best friends, and we spent all our time together, studying, going to class, and hanging out. We knew our whole neighborhood, and we were free to walk or ride our bikes all over base, to the pool, movie theatre or local convenience store. School was easy, with few advanced level classes offered and plenty of people to study with.
Life in Keller was the complete opposite.. The girls walked to class, carrying their Coach bags and dressed in brand name blingy jeans I had never seen before, clutching sonic cups.. The boys were huge, strutting around in letter jackets and cowboy boots. I shuffled through the day, barely noticed. I wasn't new and exciting but another face in the crowd. Most of the kids had gone to school together for years, some since kindergarten. If a student didn't recognize you they assumed you had just never met, and were happy to keep it that way. I stood there a study in opposites. My wardrobe, accent, even hair did not fit in, yet no one really noticed me. I stared at the classroom clock's black hands, wishing for the moment when I could climb in the car and say " The was a HUGE mistake- Let's go Home!" The excitement that I had felt coming to Texas had turned into deep regret . Even after school at swimming, a sport I loved, had become a strange place where I found no comfort. I swam with younger kids, unable to keep up with those my own age and unused to the intensity. My new team was huge, with hundreds of fast kids from all over North Texas. Compare to North Carolina, where my team was small, 20 kid team swimming together a few times a week.
For a long time I hated Texas, I hated the military and my parents for moving me. I believed I would never acclimate, that it would never be home. But over the next few months, I learned a lot. I learned to join in. I moved up swim groups, and made friends. I made the high school team. It was great to be part of a motivated group. Keller taught me to push myself . I realized that I had not challenged myself in NC because winning was easy. I learned to succeed in school. The curriculum at Keller was much more advanced than in North Carolina with AP classes offered much earlier. Classes were hard and fast paced, with no one to coddle you... I studied hard to catch up and worked smarter. I also enjoyed the challenge. I met people and pursued new interests through clubs. And as time passed, school got better. And just like that ,when I felt like Texas was home, it happened again. My dad got orders to Rhode Island. I was thrown back into the world wind of unknown. School, swimming, friends, I would have to start over . But this time I was ready for the challenge. The move to Texas taught me to take the risk and jump right in in RI. I got involved with my school and took the hard classes. I challenged myself to swim my fastest and helped lead my high school team to a second place finish at the state meet. I am the team captain after only one year. Looking back, moving was the best thing for me. I was quickly and unceremoniously dumped outside of my comfort zone, and I had to adapt to my new surroundings. For a while it was hard, but the difficulty has also taught me a lot my own inner strength. I learned to reach out, make friends, and seek things that interest me without the security of the familiar.
And so as I hear my peers express their fears of moving away, moving on, I don't' share those same feelings. I know that I am ready. I have always moved where the military has sent my dad. I am excited that this next step is my choice. I am not worried about being too far from home. Texas taught me that I will make my home wherever I am.
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