Close your eyes and transport yourself back to the time you were a senior in High School. Think about the thoughts that were going through your head and the people around you. We have all been there, finding our lives way too monotonous we crave desperately for some sort of change. This type of behavior can lead us to have negative thoughts and see everything as an obligation but not as a privilege. This was the case for me.

As a senior part of the Class of 2017 at the American Nicaraguan School in Managua, Nicaragua; there was a time where I was so tired of the toxic environment that High School provided me, I just wanted to leave everything behind. All I cared about was walking through that stage on graduation day in a cap and gown.

These uncooperative experiences I was having lead me to apply to places far away from my hometown Managua, where society is the most judgemental due to its small population size.

The summer before entering college, I even had a countdown on my phone because I couldn't wait to get out of there. At that time, I had lived in my country for a whole eighteen years of my life. I was definitely ready to move on, even from my group of friends. I wanted a fresh start.

Fast-forward to my first semester at the University of Tampa, during my freshman year of college, three weeks in, I noticed I was having unusual cravings from native food from my country Nicaragua. This was such a weird sensation because while I lived there I never had cravings of it. I knew what it was though, I was starting to be homesick.

This is where it all made sense to me, you never truly know what you have until you lose it. The reason why I never valued all the resources available in my country before was because I knew I could have it any time I wanted. Since these typical plates were always available in abundance to me, I never saw them as a big deal and in contrast, I avoided them at times from having them so often.

Besides the food, I started reflecting on how easy everything was back home. I had the benefit of having a personal trainer, fresh fruits, and house assistance which would cook me daily meals and help me out with my chores. I had the most beautiful beaches and landscapes at my disposition and while I was there, I took them for granted.

Today, I have exactly two years of living in Florida and I see every opportunity I get to be back home as an absolute privilege. Being away from home definitely made me appreciate the beauty my country offers and it has allowed me to become more patriotic and grateful for everything I used to have.

Even though I miss my country with all my heart, I do not regret leaving and I do not plan on living there again. In the end, the only way I could have seen how lucky I am from coming from such a paradisal place in Central America was by going away and seeing that what I was looking for in another place, I had it right in front of me. Enjoy every stage of your life and give thanks to everything in front of you, you would be surprised how at times, we're not aware of how lucky we are.