Theme Week Two

There I am sitting on the floor in the living room of our new home. My sister and our new yellow lab puppy by my side. It was the year 2000, over a decade ago (wow that makes me feel too old), and we were headed to the 5th grade. We had just moved into our new home, on High st. in North Berwick. Three hours away from everything we had known; our friends, school, family, and our home. We moved because my dad had received a new job and both our parents thought that there was more opportunity in southern Maine for my sister and I with school and in recreation as well. This was the start of our exciting new adventure as a family, or at least that's what my mom always told us.

Flash forward a few years and I've made it to middle school! By this time I'd made plenty of friends, some I had lost, and others I had made for a lifetime. The set up of the school was different so I was able to see people I hadn't really got to know before and we also started organized sports through the school. I played soccer, basketball, and softball. I also played the flute in the band; we were very good. These were the years that I began to become more social, I tried new things, found out what I liked to do most, and found some of my very best friends.

Another two years has gone by and now I am a freshman in high school, scary! Although, I actually was not nervous at all. I was so excited and sure of myself going into my first year. Freshman year I made friends with older kids, had awesome new classes, ditched band (which I kind of regret), got into art and LOVED it, and started hanging around with the "scene/show kid" group. I dressed in skinny jeans, Chuck Taylors, and wore hot pink eye shadow. This was the year I stopped playing softball cause it bored me, stuck with basketball, stopped soccer, and picked up field hockey. I could not have been more happy about this! Field hockey was available in middle school, but I had always played soccer. I had no idea what I was missing with field hockey. I tried it, loved it, and it turns out that i was a natural. I was happy as I could be with my group of friends that year and grew closer to new ones that I had met going to shows, hanging around my older, new friends, and all the girls I had met playing at a high level on my sports teams.

Then came sophomore year. This year was kind of a dull year. I was kind of transferring out of the group of kids I hung around a lot with the year before, but I still remained friends with most of them, just was not into some of the things I was before, such as shows and I began finding other interests. This year I really focused on sports, especially field hockey. I worked my but off and ended up making varsity as a sophomore and it was only my second year playing! I was happy with myself and what I'd accomplished in sports and how I was doing in school as well.

Junior year came next, and was sort of like sophomore year in the dullness department. However, this was the year I parted ways with my very best friend from the moment I started school in 5th grade. She decided to go down a different path than I and I wanted to focus more on school, sports, and my family, you know the positive things. It turns out she thought I was judging her for her decisions, which maybe I was but I knew I didn't want to be around what she wanted to be about. This was when I learned that sometimes you lose people that mean so much to you, but it is almost like it was meant to be. We are both very happy now with our lives and I still wish her the best. I write mostly about this specific event because it rocked my world and it changed my everyday life for a long while afterward. Although, I lost Bethany I still had all my other friends and they were always there for me; it made me closer to them and I am thankful for that.

Senior year was one that affected my life more than any other. It was a year of many struggles, successes, and changes for me. Looking at the sports aspect of my year I was very successful. I was voted captain of the varsity field hockey and basketball team. I also received awards such as the coaches award in field hockey and an academic athlete award in basketball. Senior year was also the year I followed my sisters advice and tried out for lacrosse; I made varsity. I had so much fun with the girls on the team, and the game in general was very easy to pick up! I had one amazing season and I wish I had started so much earlier. Although, athletically I did well I struggled in the friend department. I made a bad decision and turned my back on my group of good friends, one of them specifically, for a boy. I thought nothing would change, but I was very wrong. I got too wrapped up in something new and exciting and kind of lost myself. That is one thing I regret. I do not regret the relationship I have now but I would take back how I was treating myself and my friends.

Today, I have become a very level headed, understanding person. The obstacles and tough experiences I had to go through in high school really made me realize how one thing can change many aspects in your life whether negatively or positively. For example, when I turned around on my friends and ended up losing most of them for a very long time. Luckily though I have mended all bridges that were burned and I am finally back to feeling content and it is awesome. I am enjoying my time in college, meeting new people, having fun with old and new friends, staying positive, and really thinking before making complex decisions that could impact me. Every happening in my history, and more specifically my high school years have significantly affected my life today.