Leaving

It just hit me last night: after this Friday I probably won't be seeing most of my friends again until Thanksgiving. Unfortunately for me, they decided to go to schools that start the semester about three weeks before I do which means that I'm stuck by myself for three weeks before I go to college.

I'm not really sure of how I feel about it (going to college).  On the one hand there is the obvious reaction of pain and reluctance that comes with leaving the familiar behind, but on the other hand there is an amazing sense of adventure and knowing I'm finally going to college-- that glorious place where for the first time ever I am held accountable to no one but myself.  Sure I'm leaving my entire life behind. I've lived here my entire life, been at the same school since pre-kindergarten, and known most of my friends since kindergarten. But, starting over should be an adventure.

Also, the world is a lot smaller than it once was, which means that keeping in touch will be easy (Yay AIM/facebook!) so it won't be that bad. I guess the only qualm that I really have is that four months can really change someone, especially in an environment like college. And since I'm not going to be around the people my friends will be with, all of our changes are going to be different. Whether or not those changes will further separate us remains to be seen, but I'm optimistic that they won't.  One friend (he's going to St. John's in Santa Fe) once told me that we don't really change but rather we continue to grow into whoever it is that we really are. I hope that's the case because if not I have no idea what's going to happen.

But, at least my family won't change. Leaving them behind won't be that hard I figure, especially because my dad has been reminding me that "I'm out of here once I turn 18" since I was a baby (he was being facetious of course, but the message stuck :-) ). I've never really been one for homesickness so I should be fine. As for leaving my school of 750 students in the deep south for an Ivy League school in the northeast … I think I'll manage ;)

 

-theFroshPrince