At times there is nothing I want to do more than leave my house, leave the state, and to even leave the mainland of this country. Everything gets so overwhelming, from school to family it all feels like too much for me to handle. I often think of going to my dream college and leaving all of this behind me to start a new chapter in my life, but mid-dream I am quickly brought back to reality with the realization that, for the time being, this is where I belong.

When I moved to Mansfield the summer before fifth grade I thought it would be just as awful, unkind, and unwelcoming as past towns had been. I believed this until the eighth grade when I finally realized that people here weren’t as horrible as they seemed, and as I made my way through school I began to feel and enjoy the love, comfort, and company my peers gave me. Feeling this gave me a sense of belonging that I had craved for years before. It made me love being here and it is what makes life here in Mansfield bearable.

Being in the same town for so many years has given me enough time to understand that I need to spend as much time with my friends here because in just one more year we will all go our separate ways. It has taught me to live in the moment, to enjoy the company and familiarity of others, and to love the activities that I am blessed to be able to participate in. I’ve found my home in newspaper, debate, book club, and Bronco Brigade and, despite the stress and pressure they bring me, I can’t imagine having the same high school experience I’ve had if it hadn’t have been for those activities. They’ve brought me closer to old friends while also helping me make new ones, they give me something to look forward to, they teach me life lessons and they’ve ultimately helped me to learn how to handle stressful situations in appropriate ways. This is only my junior year but I have learned so much more about life than I had expected to. I will live every day with ebullience and I will live for the day itself.

I often think of finishing my final year of high school, going to my dream college and leaving all of this behind me to start a new chapter in my life but mid-dream I am quickly brought back to reality with the realization that, for the time being, this is where I belong.