Home. It's familiar. It feels safe, it feels comfortable, it feels secure. It feels perfect. Home could mean many things. Home could be a place or home could be a mindset; however, with its many comforts, home has one flaw, you could be trapped in it. I was 13 years old riding my bike around the block, picking up lemons from the neighbors, and meeting up with my brother at the old school down the street. We often would talk about the older days when we were younger since that old school used to be our elementary school. It was nice that everything was so familiar and so close to each other. I knew all the neighbors, and their kids, and they all knew me. It all felt simple.

One day, on a warm summer afternoon in California, my father asked a very peculiar question of my brother and me. He said, "Have you guys ever wondered what life would be like if we moved to another state or country?" A fun question I thought to myself, and I responded with "I'm sure it'll be very different." Flash forward four months later, and my father said that we will be moving to Taiwan in two months.

I knew that moving would be hard, but I still was not prepared for the emotional strains and changes that I was about to face. At least we have quarantine for two weeks to settle in our new apartment and unpack. It took me about three days to unpack my suitcase, but I took about eight months to unpack my emotions. Moving for me was not just relocating, it was like moving lives. My old house, friends, and memories turned past tense. Those times were bygone. Here is where my new life is. Brand new. Maybe sometimes new isn't too bad if you never liked the old but I loved my home. When I was home, I thought that life like this would be forever. That these friends would always be with me. My house would always be there. These places would always be available. It's quite a task to let go of that. Additionally, I was also scared. The fear of the unknown took over as I didn't know the language or even the culture that well. The only thing I knew and had was my brother to help me get through. I, also, like to write songs and music, so I used that to cope with the changes. It was quite isolating and lonely without any friends and just the feeling of being displaced. I had to accept several harsh truths to realize that I had to move on from my old life and I coped in many different ways; some good, some bad. Then, this side of the coin flipped around.

Despite the bad things that happened, they were actually very essential to my growth and maturity. I grew to realize that the way I handled those changes and overcame those obstacles helped shape who I was and let me evolve. The difference that I made that sparked this switch was that instead of fearing the change, I embraced it. Seeing challenges as opportunities, I learned how to enjoy things while they last, accept hard times, and how to deal with them. It is hard sometimes to not want to turn back toward home and wish that things were different, but now, the only time I look back is to see how far I have come.

© Logan. All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.