This week, I just took on the daunting task of moving out of my mom's house and into the dorms at the college I'm going to. I over packed and still managed to forget about some things, but I somewhat expected that. My roommate ended up being one of my close friends from high school and so far we don't hate each other yet. Most people would be very emotional about leaving home and becoming more independent, although I'm mostly just happy about these major changes in my life.
I'm not going to miss the small town where I had very few friends and where I always felt that there was nothing for me. I felt that there would be no future ahead of me if I had stayed there. I won't miss my senior year of high school, where I felt like the most insignificant and unwanted person there, despite all the people that talked to me here and there or how high my grades were. I always felt like the black sheep that didn't belong there.
One thing I will miss, however, along with my cats, is my mom. She's not only the best parent that anyone could have, but she's also been my best friend. People say that a parent should only be a parent and not a friend, but I disagree. I came out perfectly fine, at least in my opinion. I could talk to her about anything, joke with her, and ask for advice or help whenever I needed it. She has helped to guide me through everything, cared about me, praised me when I accomplished something, even if it was only something small, worked harder than anyone I know to make life better for us, and never treated me like a burden. I'd have to say that part of the reason I decided to go to college was because of my mom not letting me believe for a second that I can't do whatever I have my heart set on. Some people might think that going to college for media arts is pointless and won't help me to find a career, but my mom still encouraged me to do it and didn't doubt that I would be able to make a career out of my major after I graduate.
I already feel nostalgic about the memories I made at the other high school that I attended for three years. I'll miss the parties I had with my friends where we would eat enough junk food to last us a month, play video games and blast our music, I loved it when we threw birthday parties for each other almost every year, and I know I'll miss how close we all were in general. Several of my friends are going to different colleges and have somewhat grown apart, but the memories we made will stay with me forever, even if we all eventually grow apart and lose contact with each other. A few of my friends are still close with me and are either staying nearby for a while or going to the same college as I am, and I hope that we can stay close for as long as possible, even though we'll all have busy schedules.
After moving out, I no longer feel as insignificant and unhappy as I did during my senior year. I have already made several new friends, started getting more involved in events and activities, and I've become a lot more social again. I'm finally studying subjects that actually pertain to my career path, rather than only taking classes in required high school subjects that will have little to no use in my future. It's only been a week, but I'm so much happier than I have been in a long time. I see a glimmer of hope that my life will keep improving from here on out, with the occasional bumps in the road, of course. I'm ready to take on pretty much whatever life gives me and make the most of it.