Born and raised in a suburb of Madeira, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, I quickly adapted to small-town living. I spent many days just strolling along, since everything was practically in walking distance. I kept a close group of friends and we routinely did the same things. It wasn't a super exciting life, but it was comfortable and sometimes interesting things would happen, like when the train broke down on the tracks, literally blocking one side of the town from reaching the other.
My high school consisted of a little over 400 students, approximately 100 students per grade, and secrecy was non-existent; everyone knew everything about everyone. On a typical day, I would go to school followed by volleyball practice or a game, then I would go home, do my homework, and go to sleep, just to wake up and do it all again the next day. I lived a very routine lifestyle, and I wasn't exposed to many different cultures or beliefs, but it was comfortable.
Following my sophomore year of high school, I moved across the country to Naples, Florida. At first, I experienced substantial culture shock. Not only were there a lot more people, but the people themselves were very different from the folks I was used to being associated with. I was very oblivious to the fact that everyone from my hometown was relatively the same and I had never met people from such an eclectic group of backgrounds.
My class now contained over 500 people, and I no longer knew everyone's business. As a matter of fact, I barely even knew half of their names. On my first day of school, I had three different people ask if I spoke Spanish, and I bet you could guess, I did not. No one had ever tried to speak to me in another language before. But in Naples, it seemed to be almost as common as English.
I spent the first month dreading the fact that everything I had ever known had changed. I missed Cincinnati so much and dreamed about the day I could move back. However, as I began to address my new lifestyle with an open mind, things began to shift in a new direction.
I started to notice myself becoming a more well-rounded person. Moving and leaving everything behind helped me develop more people skills as I continued to put myself out there and meet all different kinds of people. It definitely also gave me a sense of maturity as I conquered new unexpected boundaries that had been set in my path. A lot of strength was required to start fresh in a city halfway across the country from where I had been raised.
I think what I'm thankful for the most was how this experience added so much to my identity. I had now experienced things and gone out of my comfort zone. I became adaptable and comfortable with change, which is extremely important, because everyone endures change in his or her life, whether it is welcomed or not.
As a result of my shift of lifestyle, I was able to have the courage to go to a college where I didn't know anyone, and eventually rush a sorority, which I most likely would not have had the courage to do otherwise. Although it was hard and I hated it at times, I know I wouldn't be the person I am today if I didn't allow myself to accept the change and embrace it with an open mind and open heart.
Ultimately, moving across the country taught me that there's a lot of beautiful things out there that I haven't discovered. Also, it taught me that being comfortable isn't living. Change doesn't come easy, but it is no doubt the most rewarding gift that we can give ourselves. In the future, I plan to move a lot, and travel a lot, and embrace change every opportunity I get.
