As I pack up my things for one more round, I can't help but notice the change. The same time last year, I was folding my clothes, but something is different. There are no butterflies, there are no jitters. There are no ‘good luck’ cards, or freshly open supplies. My wallet, although not empty, is exceptionally lighter. I can’t help but notice the solitude that this year’s packing has caused. With this just being my second year out of high school, a lot of things have changed.

After returning back to my community, I quickly felt the positions switch. Instead of being the kid always in the sports highlights, I was suddenly the ‘most recent graduate’. With this came two things. The first thing I noticed was the difference in greetings I received. A large sum of people greeted me with kind words. These people wished me the best, and genuinely cared about my most recent endeavors.

On the other hand, there was that one lump sum of people who feed off negative news. These were the people who just craved to see me fall. The ones that always casted the shadow over an opposing person’s shine. The next factor to graduating is that you are constantly reminded that you are not in high school anymore. This was such a hard reality of mine, that to this day, still hurts. Judge me if you will, but it strikes my heart to think I will never get my name on an eagle head again.

When I was finally done analyzing my return home, I started looking at the town and how it has changed. The coffee drinkers are still up early, never to miss a day at the local c-store. Our School’s lawn is still perfectly groomed. The streets, although safe, still have those canyon-like dips. What has changed? Moments passed and it came to me.

My town has not changed, I have. It was almost as if the little caterpillar, full of excitement and adventure, was enough to give myself my wings. With once being grounded, I am now able to broaded my horizons and take flight in my life. This seclusion is not a moment of sadness, but a moment of maturity. As the week edges to the end, I will soon load my things, and quietly slip out of my hometown. Thank you for the summer, you will always be my spoon full of sugar that helps the medicine go down!