Risks

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." ~ Helen Keller

This year abroad is a risk, a huge risk that I'm willing to take, because I know all the amazing experiences I can gain from it. As Hellen Keller said, "Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure." So many people ask me, "Why would you risk taking 5 years of high school?" or "Why do you want to leave your friends and family for a year?" Even if I stayed, I'd still go to college and leave home in two years. Something a good friend told me was that the friendships that last through this year are the friendships that are going to last through college and continue later in life. I might miss one year with the people I've known for years, but that opens a door to make amazing, lifelong friendships with people I would have never met.

When I think about it, I realize that I'm going to be in a foreign country for 10 whole months, living with total strangers, and attending a school in a language that I am far from fluent. It all sounds quite daunting if you put it that way, but if you change your perspective and look at the situation in a new light; I have been provided a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend 10 months in a beautiful country, partake in a brand new culture, and learn two amazing languages! This exchange is going to be the hardest year of my life, but also the best year of my life, and I can't wait to get started!