360 Life Change and What Comes With It

Surprisingly one of the things I thought would be the hardest on my exchange, wasn’t. Surprisingly my life will be forever different.

After two weeks of silence in my school, I discovered I had a voice, I had 15 years of my life to share with people that maybe wouldn’t feel related but were totally interested in listening.
My life in the Czech Republic has been a roller coaster of emotions. Feeling alone and not understood, independent after buying something in the supermarket without needing anyone to help you, solving problems by yourself, not understanding school, and feeling stupid sometimes are things that have made me realize how strong of a person I can be and how much growth I have made.

Sitting in school for several hours trying to comprehend the cursive handwriting on a chalkboard made me start asking myself questions that I hadn’t had time to ask before like how much money a supermarket could make in one day, if the teachers knew I was there or if it was actually worth it for me to be in this place. And after those philosophical questions, I came to the realization that I’m the actual only person in my life, I have my own times of growth and I’ve been through things that no one else has. Many people have told me I’m too young to be here but is that even relevant in my life process? My age was an insecurity of mine in my exchange but after a while, I understood that I’m here for a reason and that I live my life at my own pace.

One of the most important things I’ve learned in my time here from my friend who is living through the same as me and has given me unconditional support is that life is too short to care, to care about people’s opinions, actions, or anything that is external to you.

I’ve learned to live a way that probably I would’ve never if I wasn’t right here right now. And maybe I’m young but I have lived a lifetime in a year that will forever change me.