A Time of Change is a Privilege

Senior year of high school always brings change. I knew it was coming and I thought I could prepare myself, but I was wrong.


At first, the changes were slow and easy to adapt to. These slow changes promised excitement and a new future. But now, it is as though these changes have met with a super charged catalyst. Large changes have come and major changes are still approaching. Thus far, I've learned there is no avoiding change. All one can try to do is endure and adapt.


I've moved my horse to a different barn, my mom retired, and I graduated from high school, all while I prepare to move to a different continent. I have one month to say goodbye to loved ones and friends, finish up projects, and begin packing.


 When life brings change, it has to pry my fingers off the past. Why give up what is comfortable now? However, one of my friend's posts on facebook brought everything into perspective. This quote will always stay with me-


""Do not regret growing older, it is a privilege denied to many". ~ Unknown


One thing is certain in life: time is a priviledge. For so many people, the future never came and their dreams and asperations were left incomplete. When I dwell upon this fact, the changes I face don't seen so difficult and overwhelming.   


But every morning, I wake up to the realization that everything I have ever known is coming to an end. I will move to another continent and when I come back, things and people will be different. I will be different. And then, shortly after, I will be moving to college.  I can't help but shutter at the changes, but at the same time I welcome them with open arms. Most people dream of traveling and studying abroad or going to college, but so many have lacked the opportunity or had these dreams brought to a sudden halt. I've been granted a rare privilege. A privilege that will affect the rest of my life.


The changes looming in the future have made me appreciate the things around me. I find myself trying to soak up the smell and taste of my mom's gourmet cooking, the fluffiness of my bed, the surrounding Indiana landscape, and the laughter my friends and I share.


I look forward to my time in Japan. I am excited to meet new people and learn a new way of life, but I am not rushing towards this change. I am taking my time, revaling in the present, absorbing every American sight, sound, and smell. As much as the future is a gift, so is the present. I will not take either for granted.