Everyday, thousands of phenomena occur because of change. Day changes to night, winter changes to spring, children change into adults, and time is even changing as we speak. Change is something that results in many wondrous things; but to me, it was the one thing that ultimately scared me the most. The changes I had experienced in my life all ended in the loss or depreciation of something. In my eyes, the word change had a connotative meaning that could always be associated with something horrible. Being a very organized and routine person, life just seemed to be so much easier for me when things were always kept the same. When I had to move from Maine to Florida, I was not only forced to reevaluate myself, I was forced to reevaluate my definition and attitude towards change.

     I grew up in a very small town in Maine for the first eleven years of my life. Just imagine the smallest town you can think of and cut it in half...that is about the size of my hometown, Cushing. Then add a myriad of pine trees and snow, and you will have a fairly accurate mental picture of the place I called home. But my home meant so much more to me than just the external factors. It was that feeling of comfort, acceptance, and security that really made it so special to me. Everyone knew my name, and they all accepted me for the person I was. Everyday, I would go through the same type of routine. I never had to make any decisions regarding change and this was quite appeasing to me. My life seemed to be perfect.

     Then that infamous day came when it was time for me to move to Florida. As one can probably understand, it was literally going from one extreme to the next. I went from evergreens and cold weather, to palm trees and endless sunlight. Not only was it a complete culture shock, I had to leave behind everything I knew and loved. My little world had been completely changed from good to bad in a matter of days. Everything seemed totally different, including the people. They were obviously not accustomed to who I was, and I felt as though my differences would pose a problem. The change had happened so abruptly that I had a mental lapse. I refused to accept the change or let my new situation change me. I was afraid of it and anything new that came along with my new life.

     My closed mentality continued for many years until I finally came to the realization that I had to accept my situation and move on with my life. In hindsight, I was really only battling with myself when I thought I was battling the unfairness of the world. This was by far the hardest chapter of my life, and thankfully, I have come out a better person. I do not think of my story as a loss or a tragedy. On the contrary, I think of it as my success story. Change is nothing more than a simple opportunity. It took me a long time to figure that out, but now that I have, I think it is the single most important thing I have ever learned. When I moved here to Florida, I did not see it as a chance to experience new things, people, and ideas, when in actuality, thats really all it was. It was a door opening up right in front of me, but I chose to surpass it and stay locked up in that little room that was my mind.

     I have not come across another door of that importance until now. This new door leads to college, and ultimately, the rest of my life. This time I am going to grasp that door knob with both hands and fling the door wide open; this time I am not going to be afraid of whats on the other side; this time I am going to welcome change with open arms. I look at college as a chance to prove to myself that change is no longer a controlling factor in my life. I missed my chance at change before, but I am not going to miss it again.