I realized again the other day that this is an opportunity for something entirely new. Reinvention.
The first real chance I had at that was when I began college. All through elementary, middle, and high school I knew the same group of people and attended the same private school. Many of the people had known me since we were both young and awkward. It's difficult to break out of any box you have created for yourself in a situation like that. People occasionally did; they would come back from summer break with a makeover and new attitude--but that that was definitely the exception. Generally once you had been put into a box there, it was easier to just stay in it.
University gave me a sense of freedom. It was an entirely new location. A huge school compared to the one I had been at previously--my graduating class in high school had around 50 students-- that spread out over several acres gave me a chance at anonymity that I had never previously known. I began to thrive. It was a chance for self-exploration, as college should be, and since I was happy my grades were excellent as well.
I ended up having to take some time off of school after a year or so, and haven't gone back yet. I kept making new friends and exploring new interests, obviously, but there wasn't the same opportunity for expansion as before. The entire area had grown stale. Hampton Roads, while it has things to offer, is not a place where I wanted to spend my entire life.
Moving out here is the chance I needed to take, I think. It's giving me a chance to figure out who I want to be --who I want to be known as, what skills and traits I want to emphasize, what sort of impact I want to leave. While I had a great reputation back home and can not think of anyone who really disliked me, I still needed a fresh start somewhere new. A chance to break out.
