I listened to music and gazed out at the fields passing me for the entire ride home. It took an hour and a half but it honestly felt like 20 minutes. I fidgeted around trying to get comfortable the whole time as all I wanted to do was sleep, but I should’ve known better. I know I can’t fall asleep on transportation. However, I soon became tired enough to let my music keep playing without skipping songs, even if I wasn’t fond of a particular track. They all had some type of memory associated with them. The beginning of “Clocks” by Coldplay began to play into my headphones and I was brought back to a special time in my life. It was a time when everything was simple. A time when my dad’s job seemed so complex to me and my sister spoke for me, since I never spoke myself. A time when jumping on the tiny, single (not even bouncy) trampoline that we kept in our garage was like riding a rollercoaster and we enjoyed the seasons and the people and the food we ate for what they were. A time when phone calls, bills, school work, work-work, and emails didn’t exist for me. Do I miss it? Of course I do. I wouldn’t trade those times for the world. The song continued to play and all I could think about was that I was being that little kid. I chose to gaze out my window instead of going on my phone or changing the song to enjoy life in that moment for what it was. For the next hour and a half, I was 4 years old again.

In January, I was terrified of how the rest of the year was going to go. In February, I published my first book. In March, I got into my dream school. In April, I performed in my first musical. In May, I played my last ever high school orchestra concert and delivered my first public speech. In June, I graduated from high school and got my wisdom teeth pulled out. In July, I moved to Alexandria temporarily while I performed at the Kennedy Center for a month. In August, I made my first-ever vacation with my girl friend and moved into college. In September, I reconnected with my best friend after 9 months of no contact. Today I toured my first apartment and am yet to sign the lease that will be sent to me in a couple of days. This week, I will tell my story publicly for the first time. I turn 19 in less than one month and go home again in 4 weeks. Life is good, but I would’ve never imagined ending up at the place I’m in in my life today. Life is truly crazy. When you’re young, you don’t really take life in like you should because you don’t know that it’s important. I think our brains are wired like that on purpose. They only want you to remember the “important” things, but it’s the memories that make you who you are.

Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established. – Proverbs 16:3