Plastics - Elle Ogden

I will be honest and say that this is my fourth time writing this blog post. I've been given so many life changing pieces of advice, that its hard to pick just one. That being said, I have decided to go with the most cliche piece of "mom advice" that exists, "always be yourself, and you'll find people like you."

I didn't realize how important this is until my trip to California. I had a five hour flight to think of how I would portray myself when I got there. Five hours to worry about if I would like my roommate, if I would make friends, if the seminars would be interesting, and on and on. But to my surprise, I made a friend within the first ten minutes of being on campus; and she was so much like me. And then, later that night, I made two more friends, identical to me. It was one of the most eye opening experiences I've ever had.

After coming home from that trip, and leaving my new friends over a thousand miles away, I realized what I was missing. I think when you go to school with the same people for so long, you get caught up in being the "image" that you've created for yourself. In high school, theres so much judgement and stress to be the best version of yourself. However, when you're put in a situation where no one knows the other versions, you can just be, you.

This isn't to say that I don't like my friends and my home because I love them, I've just learned the importance of being yourself. When I started freshman year, I sheltered myself so much. I didn't understand the importance of making new friends, and I regret that to this day. It's taken me two and a half years to realize it, but it's better late than never.

I've been so much happier this year, for the sole reason that I'm not trying to be anyone. I've rekindled friendships from middle and elementary school, I've made new friends, and I've realized that it's okay to make mistakes. Who knew I'd have to go across the country to find out my mom was right all along.