Today is my graduation day. Soon I will put on my cap and gown, and walk across the field to receive my high school diploma. It seems like my life is going right by my eyes-my childhood and adolescence. I can recollect all my memories like they all happened yesterday-eating Cheez-its and then running to the mirror to stick my tongue out so I could see the orange mush on my tongue (I know-gross), jumping off the table and pretending that I could fly, playing Pokemon on my Nintendo Color and other games on the Nintendo 64, playing with friends with Polly Pockets and other dolls, moving houses, making new friends, bowling, playing outside on the street, and spending time with my Korean grandmother.
13-14 years of my life since I first started pre-school have past. The time in elementary school seemed to go by slowly. Middle school went by quickly, and I don’t know even know where the time has gone by during high school. It seems like my first day of school was just yesterday. Now I’m graduating.
A chapter in my life is ending, however, this only means that a new one is just beginning. Ein neuer Anfang.
In a few days, some of my relatives from South Korea are coming down to visit. In about 3 weeks, I will be going to Nanjing, China with the CIEE Leadership Academy. There, I will be staying with a Chinese host family. Then in a few months, I will be going to Germany. And I’ll be going to a German high school. How ironic. I graduate from high school, just to go back. I’m not complaining, though. I want to do this. I want to experience what it’s like going to a German high school. I want to experience the German culture and living in a German family.
I look around, and I realize that I’m going to be in the United States only for a couple more months. I will be leaving the familiarity of my community, family, and friends. I won’t be seeing the same sights I’ve been seeing the past how many years. Everything will be foreign to me. I will have to expand my comfort zone. It seems kind of scary at first, but I feel exhilarated at the thought of my upcoming exchange year.
September can not come soon enough. But I’m going to enjoy each day as it comes. Including this one. Time to finally graduate!
christinathepolyglot 