Am I Ready?

College. Just a short time to go with the rest of my summer and I can't seem to think about anything else. Going back to school was never like this for me before. I'd get my class schedule, call my friends to see what classes we had together, celebrate when we had many, be bummed when we didn't. But, this time, it's different; this time, everything is new and everyone's back to the basics.

Firstly, for college, you have to buy tons of stuff. I feel like I'm moving out of the house or something. I've got enough stuff stored away that if I just packed everything into the car and took some cash, I could probably go anywhere in the country and just settle down. Secondly, it's exciting. Most people think that going back to school is something to be dreaded; it means the end of the summer and no more time with your friends to hang out. Oh no. That's not the case here. I want to be at college with all my new friends, learning and experiencing college. Sure, I'll miss my high school friends, even my older friends who I've known since elementary school. But, you can't beat having a fresh start after 18 years of knowing the same people. You're older and know what kind of image you want to be seen with. In college, everyone sees a friend or a classmate or even a fellow college student, at the very least.

To have two of my friends from high school coming along with me for the next four years of my life is something that I can't possibly describe to you. It's like bringing along a close family member to your new work place and always having someone to fall back onto. Sure, I'll make new friends, but I've automatically got that safety net that I can run to if things turn bad. And, considering how close I am to those two friends, I know that it won't be a problem with them.

So, I've got a ton of stuff and I'm excited. I've got some friends and I want to make new friends. That's the story of every college student, right? Sure. I've got something else, though. I'm ready for it. Most of my friends from high school have said that yes, they're ready to leave the house and be out there in the in-between world of college, but they're scared to actually leave home for 9 months out of the year. Truthfully... I'm not. I've been traveling away from home and flying internationally since I was 7. You can't really say that spending two months in Korea with relatives at a young age is very different from spending 9 months away from your family at age 18. If I did it then, then I can sure do it now.

A lot of people say that I'm mature for my age, that I act older than I really am. Sometimes, I hate that. I wanted to be a teenager, not some college kid. I always got asked, "When are you heading back to college?" as an 8th grader. No, I'm just in middle school, I would reply. And most of the time, nobody believed me. I pulled it off. But, not this time. I want to be the college kid that people thought I was. I want to be reckless and live these four years of my life like I was afraid to do for the past 18 years. I want to party, study, stay up late and talk to friends, forget about studying, pull an all-nighter, and live like the person I want to be.

And so, as my vow before I head off to college, I promise to act naturally in front of everyone I meet. I vow never to pull a front with anyone or deceive my new friends with something that I'm not. I swear to be everything that I wanted to be for the past years of my life, but was too scared reveal. I will be myself.