Considering that I’ve been living away from home for the last two years, you’d think I’d be used to the ominous feeling of leaving home and knowing I won’t be back again for a long long time. As it turns out, going through this process is even more heartbreaking each and every time I stand at the departure gate, looking back at the familiar, loving faces I will be leaving behind. As much as I love the little island in the middle of nowhere, that I call home, I cannot help but thirst for new horizons and adventures that will push me closer to being able to define who I want to be and what makes my heart tick.
The last time I embarked on such an epic adventure, I ended up experiencing two life-changing, amazing and intense years that have culminated in the hardest of goodbyes, three months ago. At UWC, I had found a tight, close-knit family where I was able to learn and grow in previously unimaginable ways. But in retrospective, UWC was only the beginning of a journey; an appetizer that’s left me hungry for more. At the end of the two years, I found myself with even more questions than I began with and even less answers.
I would’ve like to begin this new adventure with no expectations because in my experience, expectations are only the roots of heartache and can only set you up for disappointment. But unsurprisingly, I find myself hoping from the bottom of my heart for this coming year to be as rewarding and beautiful as the last two.
I would like to end this first blog post with a quote from Robert Frost, given to me by one of the most inspiring persons I’ve ever met; “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference”. The only thing I can think of to say is Chalo! (let’s go!)
