Change is Good

Warm weather. White sand beaches. Blinding sunshine. The warmth of lifelong friends and a loving family. Who would want to leave such a perfect existence? Who would abandon such moments of happiness in pursuit of the unknown? I did. And while I’m not the happiest or the most cheerful person every single day, I’m grateful I decided to change from being ordinary to becoming extraordinarily fantabulous!!!

I knew leaving home meant becoming home-sick, sad, down and any other negative adjective that one can muster. Not only that, in time, I became acquainted with the ground quite often from the many “slips” and “falls” I’ve had during the winter – something to which I am not accustomed.

Winter. As a child, I only witnessed winter through the screen of the black and white Zenith TV we had at home (we later got a coloured TV, but winter was still just plain white), and I was only able to dream of making snow angels and snow men with my brother. Snowball fights were a must, as the dream of winter would not be complete without that. Then, just like that, I’m here… in the cold… wishing to go back to the warmth. I was never able to stand in the snow long enough to make a snowball, nor have I had the courage to lie in the snow to make snow angels. I guess winter isn’t as cute as it appeared in the Christmas movies I used to watch. Initially, I complained and remained indoors and bickered about the bitter cold and I complained even more when I noticed the storms decided to come on weekends. By Sunday afternoon, the snow cleared and its time for school again on Monday. I cursed my lucky charms as they never seemed to work.

On snow days, it was business as usual. Nothing stopped.

Eventually, I grew accustomed to the climate, and its unpredictability. I was always prepared to step out – rain or shine… snow or sleet – to work on achieving my goals. Winter comes in extended versions where I reside in Canada and I must admit that it grows on you. They say “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” So instead of cursing and scowling at the inconvenience caused by the weather, I just invested in a great pair o’ boots, bundled up and stepped out. I stepped out to build on an already awesome strength of character. I stepped out to invest in my personal development. I stepped out to meet my dreams face to face  and am now in the process of making all of them, yes!... ALL OF THEM… a reality.

“Change may not always be welcomed, but it always provides a refreshing difference in how you choose to live.” ~JGIC

 

Jodi-Ann is an Environment Studies major in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Disclaimer: Beach picture acquired from Google.