I woke up late on a Friday morning. I could already smell the tension in the air, or maybe it was just the pancakes my mom had made. The day felt off, I knew bad news was coming, but I continued getting ready for my best friend to come over. 

   My sister broke the news. I turned to my mom for reassurance that my sister was just pestering and nothing more, but it was true. The time to move officially came, the day I dreaded for years. Except it wasn’t to North or South Carolina, but 1,015 miles away. All the way from Hinesville, Georgia to Holland, Michigan. 

   My day-to-day life in Georgia was quite typical. I dreaded going to school like any other teenager. Waking up at seven in the morning to look a certain way to fit in and get ready to put a mask on to hide who I truly was to please others. Putting on my uniform and making sure it looked right because I didn’t want to get dress coded for not wearing the right colored belt. Walking out the door worried if I would make it to class on time walking from 2nd to 3rd period. Then I’d go home, do homework, and do it all over again. 

   Yet, I missed it already. The stress, the worry, and perfectionism to fit everyone’s standards in Hinesville. Not to mention livin’ it up on Friday night meant Walmart trips and Parker’s slushies. So what was there to do? What was there to even miss?

   I expected Holland to be the same; my assumption was way off. Although I moved in October of 2020 and had to continue junior year online, I still experienced some of what Holland had to offer.

   May 2021, I had the opportunity to go back down to Georgia for the month, where I believed I was going to stay to finish out my senior year. Since I’d been in that school system since I was four years old, how could my parents possibly move me during my last year of high school? They did, and I was devastated. I felt as though my life was to go down hill from that moment. 

   I couldn’t graduate with people I’d known my whole life. My family wouldn’t be able to be at my graduation, nor would I get to experience anything I’d been looking forward to for the last three years of my high school career. 

   Walking into West Ottawa on September 10, I expected nothing less than what I experienced in Georgia. I expected strict teachers with zero respect for their students. Constant reminders to be quiet in the hallways and to always have our shirts tucked in. 

   What I experienced on my first day was far from that. I can remember sitting down in second hour–which was where I first started the day–and being greeted almost immediately. My instant thought that came to my mind was I was going to be judged, or be an outcast to the school, but Nope! To my surprise everyone at WO has been welcoming, accepting, and kind. Something at my old school I wouldn’t have experienced if I were new. 

   On top of having a great first day, I’ve been having the best school year yet. The amount of experiences I feel they’ve given us seniors, even as a student body and the amount of “freedom” I feel I have here, I never expected to enjoy attending West Ottawa as much as I do. 

   I get respect from teachers, I don’t fear for my life because I’m walking across the hall to the bathroom without a pass. 

   I can easily have conversations with my teachers without there being this awkwardness that’s kept me from creating healthy student-teacher relationships my whole life.  

   So, although I miss my family, my few friends, my childhood home, and my old school. West Ottawa has given me a new perspective on what I want to do in life. A lot has come out of moving to Michigan and attending WO. I feel like my senior year has been fulfilled in ways it wouldn’t have if I were still attending my old highschool.

   The variety of classes they have at WO that I have the option to take, on top of the many clubs and sports offered here at West Ottawa. At my old school all they funded was the football team and offered only about 10 elective classes. 

   Staying in Michigan was the best decision I could have made for myself overall, I don’t regret any choice that I’ve made living here. Although, negative and positive things have happened I can say the good top all the bad.