October 3, 2017

As a senior in high school, I didn’t know that life was about wandering foreign cities, or drinking good coffee but I guess that’s part of what I learned on my holiday in Europe this summer. Maybe it’s being from a small town or maybe it’s our generation, but I think we develop our own little world in high school, when the real world is waiting to be discovered. There’s a lot for us to learn as teenagers and so much to experience. You’ve just go to be willing and ready for it.

My trip to Europe taught me many things. I had gotten a glimpse of what it would be like to be on my own, traveling, growing, and experiencing life in new ways. I saw past high school and all the temporary aspects of teenhood and I realized that there’s so much more to life than what happens at this point in our lives. Don’t get me wrong, I think high school is an important time for growth and learning (and going to dances in smelly gyms) but ultimately, it’s just a stepping stone to the real world. It’s practice for life, being able to push yourself out of your comfort zone and becoming independent. There’s so much that awaits us after graduation and that’s why it’s important to understand that nothing is as big a deal as it seems right now. You can go to dances by yourself and still have a good time! You can get past your FOMO! You don’t have to lose sleep for a week to pass one test! Don’t let what happens now keep you from preparing yourself for real life. Don’t allow yourself to get sucked into a temporary world, when your future has so much in store.

You just have to be willing to take that first step. You have to be willing to go places by yourself, try new things, and work hard. I never thought I’d come to this conclusion while getting lost in Glasgow, clubbing in Ibiza, driving through the French Alps, or singing with Paolo Nutini in Italy, but that’s just it. I never knew that those experiences were out there waiting for me. It’s the real world-scary, exciting, and waiting to be explored.