The Pyle Inside

I never thought that by twelve years old I would know how to ski the Rocky Mountains, sail Lake Michigan, or even have walked the halls of The White House. Nor did I ever imagine that I would know so well the sense of emptiness yet potential a new house could bring, along with the smell of paint and new wooden floors. After all, it is a lot to imagine that you are going to live in seven different houses by the age of twelve.

Along with leaving your friends, family and house behind, moving has brought me many gifts. First of all, I would have never met some of my greatest friends if my family had never left Chicago, Illinois, where my brother and I were born. I met so many wonderful people that made staring over in a new town worthwhile. Also, if I never moved, how would I ever know how wonderful new places could be? For instance, how would I ever know the joy of flying down a Rocky mountain on a bluebird day if I had never lived in Boulder, Colorado? Or even the feeling of being in the cold lake on a scorching summer day if I had never lived in Wilmette, Illinois? How would I ever enjoy the beautiful Cherry Blossoms next to the Jefferson Memorial on an early spring morning if I had never lived in beautiful Bethesda, Maryland? Living in all of these places has taught me so much about who I am.

Having experienced this kind of change at such a young age has made me a friendly and generous person when trying to make new friends, keeping me from growing up and becoming a shy, introverted person. I also can’t resist myself from helping and being kind and friendly to other people, especially when they’re new to a place, because I know what it’s like to feel alone and isolated when you start over at a new school. I have even become a more fair and responsible person when trying to make the best decision for a group, which I have learned from when my family would go looking for a new house or school. I have also become a more outdoorsy and outgoing person when I tried new things in these different places such as skiing, rock climbing, or even sailing.

Although I am blessed with all of these advantages about moving, I still dread the feeling about having to tell my friends that I will be leaving them at the end of the next month. Through this though, I have learned to appreciate and savor the last few days of being in the town I will be leaving behind. I am now a person that likes to live in the moment because I know that someday things might change.

Even though I have mixed feelings about moving, I will always enjoy learning new things about myself and trying new things. I now am so glad I have lived everywhere I have because of how I have become a helpful, friendly, kind, responsible, outdoorsy, and outgoing person through my moving experiences. Of course, I don’t know if I’ll move again, but if I do, I know that there are many great things to look forward to that triumph highly over the things that I will lose, because I know I will never forget the people and experiences that I have been blessed with throughout moving.