I never thought in my entire life that I would leave the small town that I grew up in. I always dreamed of getting a teaching job at the elementary school that I went to, marrying a guy I went to high school with and settling down in a little country house next to my parents'. All of that changed when, one day, my parents told me that we were going to be moving two hours away. Honestly, it took my breath away. I thought to myself, "We are not going to know anyone!" and, "Where will I go to school?" It was like my entire life changed in the blink of an eye.

I had always heard my parents talk about moving, but I never thought that they would actually go through with it. When moving day came, I did not know what to feel. It was all overwhelming. I was scared, but I was ready to see what the road ahead had in store for me. As the days went by, I finally started at my new high school. Going from a school of 500 to a school of almost 3,000 is a huge difference. I did not know how I was going to fit in if I would make any friends, or how the rest of my high school experience was going to pan out. It was nerve-racking, but I was ready.

On my first day, I went in with my head held high, but that all changed when the bell rang for us to go to class. It was as if a stampede was taking over in the halls. I panicked. I made my way upstairs to my first class and sat down, and instantly, people approached me and talked to me. I had a really southern accent, which I still do, so people always asked me to say different words where they could hear the accent. As the next few weeks went by, I settled in and made a place for myself. I was just there. I was not anything special, just there, and I liked it that way.

My junior year, I became more outgoing. I put myself out there and made a ton of friends, who I am still close with to this day. I tried to become more involved, but with work and having to go out of town all the time to see my family, it really did not work. My senior year, I really changed. I made many more friends and became more involved at my school. I started to feel as if I belonged there, and it honestly did not make me miss my old school. I love it here, and I am so glad my parents made the decision to move us.

I learned from being the new kid that life can change in an instant. You never know what is coming, because I did not know that my parents would actually move me and my sister away from where we grew up. Honestly, being new, and having to put myself out there and make new friends, changed me. I have always been the fun, outgoing girl, but I feel as if I am a different person. I did things that I never thought I would do, like go up to a group of people and start talking to them like I have known them for years. The move was a huge impact on me, emotionally, but it was all for the good.

To those struggling with being the new kid, whether it be at school, a job, etc: Do not stress it. I was so sick and worried that I would not make friends or anything, and I made so many friends on my first day. Trust me, even if you feel as if no one notices you the first week or two, it will get better. Keep your head up, put yourself out there, and most of all, enjoy the experience, wherever you are.