So here goes my obligatory "farewell" article about my thoughts and feelings towards the fact that I'm going to be leaving for college in less than one week. For the first time in my life, I'm going to be living on my own, away from the place I've called home for almost the last two decades.

Right now, as I sit in my dining room and type away on my computer, I admittedly don't think much of this monumental transition in my life. I'm more worried about fussing over the things I should bring to college, so much so that I am undoubtedly unaware of how crazy it is that I am in the midst of living my last week at home.

But enough dramatic build-up. Let's get straight to the real point of this article: documenting my current thoughts towards the strange transition that is about to occur in a matter of days.

First of all, I am surprised that I don't feel sad about leaving the nest. Instead, I feel like I cannot wait to begin a period of independence and self-exploration. Instead of feeling like I am being dumped out into the unknown, I feel like a bird that is soon to be released from the comfort of its birdkeepers. Sure, things won't be as convenient out there away from the nest, but there's much more room out in the open to fly and explore.

Another thing I'm wondering about is if I will get a severe episode of home-sickness like many others describe when going off to college. Having been a person that has not been the overly-emotional type, it would be quite a surprise (perhaps even a good one) if I do get it. I remember when my brother and I were participating in an overseas summer camp in China, the exact hour our parents left us at the beginning of our two-week stay, I was already getting homesick. So, if that's what's going to happen this time around, then let it be so.

Thirdly, I don't think I'll fully appreciate how awesome of a neighborhood and environment I've grown up in until I finally leave it. I mean, I've spent the last fourteen years of my life in this small suburb of Illinois, I've walked, biked, and ran through its streets hundreds if not thousands of times. There's a quote enshrined from Winnie the Pooh: "We didn't know we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun." Soon, this period of my life, regardless of the fact that it was during "the abysmal year of 2020," will be converted from the present to the past. This past year will turn from just a family having fun, into eternal memories.

Wow. Imagine if I read this one year from now. How different will my experiences have been from the thoughts I have documented here?

Farewell (sort of) to the nest, and whatever awaits me: here I come.