My whole life, I lived in Chappaqua, NY 10514. As a child, I remember playing outside in the backyard with my sister, making leaf piles in the fall. In the winter, we sled down my driveway until I got frostbite. In the spring and summer, we walked through the woods to get to our pool club called Twin Oaks.
As I went from elementary to middle school, I remember the big change in waking up to catch the school bus. I remember waking up at 6:30 a.m. and trenching up the long driveway to make the bus. I remember being excited to come home to retrieve the mail and see our nanny. I remember our house being filled with family and friends during the holidays. I remember a lot! Lots of memories!
The transition from middle to high school was even better; I soon learned to drive. I joined the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps as a junior and soon became a fully-fledged member of the Corps and an EMT. I loved giving back to my community since I knew I was making a direct impact on someone’s life when they might be having the worst day of their lives. Unfortunately, this bubble I lived in soon became disrupted at the end of my sophomore year of college. While I am thankful that we didn’t move when I was in K-12, this change still affected me.
I never liked change. Yes, there are times in my life when change was exciting, like when I went from high school to college, which gave me a fresh start where I could make new friends and challenge myself. On the other hand, change was not fun, whether it was small or big, like leaving home to go to sleepaway camp. Sometimes, change is temporary, and other times it is permanent. This change was permanent. My mom had a fantastic new job opportunity in Scranton, PA. While I was happy for her, this meant moving from my childhood home to a new home. This new home may not have all the memories embedded in the halls, but I am sure I will make new ones. The most important thing is that my family is happy.
