Once it was time for me to begin the chapter in my post-high school life, I was more than ready to leave the nest. I wasn’t trying to escape anything, but I was ready for something new and exciting. I needed a change of pace from being in the same routine for many years and felt a desire to expand my experiences. I was most excited to finally become more independent.
I was alright leaving home because I knew I would be coming back soon, yet I was somewhat worried about what exactly I would come back to. I knew I could change, my friends could change and everything I was leaving behind could easily change as well. I didn’t know what to expect of my relationships with people because of the time and distance separating us. Specifically, I wasn’t even able to foretell what my relationship with my parents would be. With my family's close relationship, I didn’t know if being on my own for months at a time would distance my relationship with them too. Yet the complete opposite happened; I don’t know if it was because I would be on my own in the world, suddenly growing up faster and becoming more mature, or if being away from the people you love makes you closer. Whatever it was, going off to college made my relationship with my parents stronger than I could have ever imagined.
There were the handful of phone calls for weekly updates on each other lives, sharing stories about new experiences and their support for me any second of the day. Whether I have a few minutes to talk in between classes, I need to vent to them about how stressed I am with school, or I want to tell them about the fun things I did over the weekend, my parents are ready to listen whenever. My mom and dad have always been my biggest support system, but especially when I went to school.
Going off to begin an independent life is filled with many firsts -- too many to be able to figure them all out on my own. There are no two people in the world who are more supportive and helpful when going through the stressful, sad, funny or happy moments in my life. Through this new beginning of the next chapter in my life, I realized a lot about myself and the people around me. I only get to see my family for the little amount of time. I am home during for vacation and can Skype with them when I’m away at school and when we can coordinate schedules. The time becomes so limited that the fighting or the annoyance you dealt with in high school completely vanishes.
To my mom and dad, thank you for being the two most supportive, loving and compassionate people on my journey. I can never predict what each day is going to hold for me, but I know that you two will be there for me no matter what. These past two years have been filled with the most growth, tears and changes, but you guided me on an incredible path from thousands of miles away. Though being across the country from you both is never my preference, I couldn’t be more thankful for what the distance has created in our relationship.
