Everyone has expectations for what their senior year of high school is going to look like. Senior year is supposed to be magical, filled with football games, your last homecoming dance, senior prom, and time spent with friends you’ve known the majority of your school career. Up until my junior year, I had assumed things would go exactly as expected and that I would finish high school in the same place I had started. These expectations quickly faded away when my parents began tossing around the idea of moving from my hometown in Georgia to Connecticut. Although I cannot say that moving my senior year was something I wanted to do, here are some reasons it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
1) It forced me to become more outgoing.
Growing up, I had never been very outgoing— I would definitely classify myself as an introvert. While there’s nothing wrong with being introverted or shy, I would say that before moving, my shyness was a hindrance to my life, standing in the way of my potential. I kept quiet instead of speaking about my ideas or passions. I never branched out from what was familiar to me. I never tried new things or spoke to new people.
I knew that when we moved, no one was going to magically be interested in me and that, if I wanted friends, I was going to have to talk to people and make an effort. This mentality changed the way I interacted with peers at my new school. I’m not going to say that it was always easy to put myself out there and be willing to talk to new people— it wasn’t. It was scary and uncomfortable and new. Just because I was talking to people didn’t mean they were my friends either— Iit took me a long time to “find my people.” Now, I find it so much easier to talk to new people, and I actually enjoy it instead of cringing at the thought of small talk.
2) I got to see things from a different point of view.
Living in Georgia was like living in a bubble. The high school I attended had little to no diversity and was filled with kids who had all lived the same sort of life. All my friends had similar experiences to my own, as well as similar economic and family situations. I only got to experience things from one point of view— and I thought nothing of it. Moving to Connecticut broadened my horizons. I went to a high school that was more diverse, and, as my mom often told me, more true to what the “real world” is like. I got to meet people who are different from me, and I was able to experience life from a perspective different from my own.
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3) I learned how to adapt.
I feel as though the best learning happens through experience. Being thrown into a school where it felt like everyone but me was comfortable was a struggle. I felt like virtually everyone already knew how to navigate every aspect of the school except me. Being a new senior forced me to adapt to new environments, people, and situations more readily. It made my transition to college that much easier.
4) I made some of the best friends I’ve ever had.
I didn’t anticipate falling in love with Connecticut as much as I did and the friendships I made played a large role in that. It’s hard to imagine that in the span of a year, I would meet people that I can’t imagine my life today without. Had my family never moved, there are so many amazing people I never would have gotten to bond with.
I’m not going to lie and say that this process was easy. The process itself was stressful and filled with many uncertainties that were out of my control. That being said, there were so many good outcomes. Moving my senior year shaped me into who I am today, and I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.