I have always been one who loved the art of writing, but for a while I was at a loss of what to write. Then one day, Odyssey came to my school.
When I heard that they wanted to come start a chapter at my school I was more than just excited, I was content, that I finally found a way to use my voice. I finally had a reason to write again. I won't lie, it wasn't all that I though it would be, being that it is journalism and not all forms of writing; no poetry, and no creative fiction. But that was okay. I figured I could adapt to it, and I did.
There is not a day that goes by that I regret writing for the Odyssey. It is one of the best things that could have happened for me. It allows me to reach out to people I never once thought I would, starting worldwide conversations with people, obtaining all sorts of thoughts and opinions, helping me to understand different situations as well as become a part of a national community. The odyssey is something that I will be forever grateful of.
I remember over the course of the past couple of years, seeing the odyssey post something, and it ends up on my dash on Facebook. I loved reading what some of these people had to say, and it was all before I truly understood what it was. From articles like how to survive high school, to what you need to bring to freshman year, there is so much I have learned and noticed. The odyssey was the go to place for me to read to see how people are viewing everything, and at the time I had no clue that it was just from other people my age.
It wasn't until I started seeing some of my old classmates post articles of their own, that I tuned further into what this is growing into, and now all of a sudden I am a part of it.
To me, the Odyssey is waking up in the middle of the night with the perfect idea for the next article. It is waiting an entire week with an idea, but a blank mind on how to write it, and then all of a sudden, it comes to you. It is searching the web for the perfect photo to use, or waiting weeks with the perfect article waiting for the right time to post it.
The Odyssey is reaching out to my peers and starting global debates, or as I like to say, "trouble," and seeing just what type of feedback you get. It is putting your mind out there, and watching the numbers rise as more and more people share what you had to say.
It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and I could not be happier that I had the chance to be a part of it.