Being away from my family has made me develop into a new person. I do not say this with pride nor with the joy of being an independent; instead, I type this with a full sense of awareness.

My family has been the cornerstone of my success and for my stability when times were rough.

But I do know that that stone will erode away through time, and I won't be able to turn to them when I am struggling. I have contemplated my thoughts of the far future:

"What is going to happen to me when the people I lived with most of my life are gone? Will I be any different now to when the time comes to say goodbye?"

I suppose the truth lies in the presence of time and what decisions that will take me on a particular path.

Hopefully, I will be on this planet for the next 50 years. During that time, I am bound to make some mistakes as well as make strides in my achievements.

It does matter on what types of mistakes are made. It may sound like I am being negative, but I am being realistic. No one is perfect.

It matters now on how I will conduct my life and slowly build my success with and without the help from the people that are close to me. I will need to fully fly out of the nest and spread my wings to new horizons.

When I look back to the person that I was a year ago, I think about how much I have grown. It's a comforting thought to reassure myself that I have made my own success and continue to grow as a person.

It is scary to think about what kind of person I will become as the chapters of my life unfold before me. My values, opinions and even my style will change. I know this because the times are changing around me. There will be events in my life that will not be in my control, and I will adapt to the best of my ability.

I may sound negative, but it's a realistic point of view.

With the time I have now, I can prepare myself for whatever may come my way.