Portland Awaits

My journey to Portland is right around the corner. In fact, it begins next Wednesday when I get the keys to my lovely, little apartment. It's so surreal to think of how far I have come since this time last year. Last year, I was sitting in school starting my junior year thinking that everything would remain the same. I would live out my little easy life and then go through my senior year and then go off to college. Nothing ever goes as expected for me though it seems. I spent a quarter of the school year like that until I decided to graduate early. Then came the whirlwind of being overwhelmed, frustrated, constantly stressed, and put under constant pressure to finish. Then came June. That's when everything came together and I could finally breathe. I could actually take a deep breath and see my plan slowly coming together. Not too long after that my plan fell apart again, only to be rescued in the nick of time. Now, finally, it all comes down to this. My move to Portland and starting my freshman year at Portland State. No more parents, no more of my usual day to day life, things are going to be so different! I know my independence will definitely be put to the test. There will be no one to rely on, just me! I have to be responsible for the bills, the cleaning, the cooking, the groceries, the schoolwork, the ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. I hope the whiteboard calendar that I got can hold all of that. At times I question whether or not I am ready to do all that. I'm only seventeen after all, and I know for sure the normal seventeen year old doesn't really do these things. Then I remember, I am DEFINITELY NOT a normal seventeen year old and I CAN handle these things. I am excited to handle these things. I am excited to be out in a new world and be on my own. There will be a lot of ups and downs in these next few months as I adjust but in the end I know I am making one of the best decisions of my life.