Friday, May 23, 2014

College and Finding the Silver Lining

A man named Anatole France once said, “All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.” It was quotes like these that pacified my fear of moving to the United States from my hometown, Vancouver. When my parents sat me down and explained to me that we would be leaving Vancouver, I was simply dazed. I didn’t know what to think. I was troubled, for I wasn’t sure if this move was something to look forward to, or something that would give me more problems than rewards. Just when I thought I had learned the way to live, my life changed drastically.
As time went by and the realization set in, I became torn between the two nagging thoughts inside my head; to anticipate or to anguish. I was excited for the fresh start that awaited me there. Nevertheless, I could not bear the fact that I would no longer be able to take those much loved strolls right by the shimmering sea just minutes from my house or hiking in the lush green mountains that stood towering over the city. But I eventually accepted the fact that I had to leave it in order to start a new chapter of my life. And so, we said goodbye to the place that we had called home for years and started the 1,300 mile journey to Los Angeles.
After seven days of driving down from Vancouver, we finally reached our long awaited destination. The streets of Los Angeles were overwhelmingly different from the streets that I had grown up in. It was rush hour every hour here; there were so many people powerwalking down the street, every single one of them looking as though they had somewhere to be but not enough time to get there. Cars were bumper to bumper in the streets, blasting their horns impatiently and, on top of it all, mounds of trash littered the sides of the road. There was such a variety of everything, from people to cars. I felt as taken aback as the country mouse that had come to visit the big city.
As the days dragged on and we finished up unpacking the mountains of boxes piled up to the ceilings of our house, it came time for me to start middle school. If I had to sum up the whole mixture of feelings I had in a single word, that word would be afraid. I was afraid of being the odd one out. I was afraid of being looked down on and not being received very well. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to be myself. There were so many different things I was fearful of. And to say the least, getting used to middle school was no picnic. It made me that much more uneasy coming from a city where middle school didn’t exist. The time to start school had finally come, and it was an arduous experience for me. I had left behind all the friends I had made over the past 10 years, and coming to a whole new place and starting all over again was beyond intimidating. I was absolutely bewildered by my new surroundings, and I thought that because of my obvious confusion, I would be rejected by everybody else right off the bat. However, I was delighted to find that the students were very friendly and welcoming of the “new girl.” I was glad to feel accepted and realized that this experience had made me a stronger person.

On a final note, I’ve got to say that although it was tough to start the journey and difficult at times throughout it, I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. My trip through the dark tunnel taught me a priceless lesson. I learned that storms in life can either make you or break you, and deciding to persevere through tough times can make you a true successor, no matter what the outcome. After this experience, I am confident that whatever challenges college may throw at me, I can grit my teeth brave through them. Now I understand that although change can be scary, it is what makes me grow, and college is one of the best changes that can happen to me. Through college I can live out my dream of becoming a doctor, and march down the path of life with my head held high.