On My Own

Tomorrow, I am going on an adventure.

I’ve never been anywhere on my own, really. Sure, I went to drum major camp for half of a week at CWU the summer before junior year in high school. One time, I went to Canada for a week, just my dad and I, to visit family. But I’ve never really been just… On my own. Kids that are away at college have been on their own for months, so to them, this would seem like no big deal. To me, though, it’s just something I’ve never really done. It might sound lame, and I honestly think it sounds a bit childish — come on, I’m almost 19 and I’ve never been on my own before? When my mom was my age, she had already been to Europe once, and was planning another trip to travel Europe with her best friend for a few months. Surely I can go to California on my own.

Tomorrow, I’m flying alone to San Diego to spend half a week with my uncle and cousin.
This is a big deal for me not just because I’m going somewhere new for the first time on my own without my parents, but also because I’m so excited to be going. Last year, I didn’t want to go away to college. I told myself I would probably want to after two years at CBC, but I still wasn’t completely sure.

The fact that I do want to go do this by myself makes me feel great. I can do this. This isn’t so bad — in fact, I know I’m going to have an awesome time no matter what, because, will first of all, it’s CALIFORNIA. The land of sunshine and free spirits and oranges and junk.

See, the more I write about it, the more lame it sounds that I’ve never really gone somewhere on my own before. We all do things at different paces, I know. But I just never really had a desire to leave. Why would I leave? I’m comfortable right here.

Well, tomorrow, I’m going to live a little, and step out of my comfort zone. They say that life begins at the end of your comfort zone, and I do believe that. I believe that not because it means doing something new or different, but because it means that you want to do something new or different. We should all want to try new things, and sometimes, doing new things that are still within reach of your comfort zone isn’t quite enough.

Tomorrow, I am going to fly to San Diego by myself, and I’m not afraid to go.
That’s a good start, right?