Ten Days Out

I had the same locker for all four years of high school. I had a lot of the same things all four years, actually: my homeroom, my Latin teacher, even my backpack. I sat with the same people at lunch. It was all familiar and constant. And for all four years of high school, the same magnet hung in my locker.

I picked this magnet up while at a giftshop in New Hampshire before starting Freshman year. It seemed like a good reminder then. Of course, it's an even better reminder now.

I'm nine days away from leaving home, and ten days away from moving in to my new home. The transition to college? It's a scary thing. There will be so many firsts, so many steps taken beyond my comfort zone. But it is good for me. As I saw at SOAR a few weeks ago, so much reward can come from taking risks. However, I think that it still qualifies as enough scary for more than one day, if you live by Eleanor Roosevelt's mantra. I'll be leaving so many things behind: my family, friends, the job I worked at for over a year, the community at my high school, my cat. In one day and one car ride, I'm saying goodbye to so much.

But I'm excited for it too. I cannot wait to get there and start making friends and begin my classes. I want to get involved with the clubs on campus. I want to see my hard work rewarded and feel the thrill that comes from being outside my comfort zone. I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, and that is the most comforting thing of all.