opinion

Moving on
by Ashley Kula

As I walked inside of the three story building, I feared the worst. There I was, about to begin my sophomore year and I had just been dragged to Panama because my mom’s job had made us move again. Over the years, I had gotten used to moving around from one place to another. Since Panama would be my ninth “home,” I can’t say it was a surprise when my mom called me at school to tell me to start packing my bags. But, even though I have grown accustomed to the sight of a U-Haul in my driveway ready to drive all of my possessions to a new location, moving hasn’t gotten easier. I became used to the idea that eventually I would have to say goodbye to my new friends and that within a couple of years I would have to pack up again to live somewhere new.

But Panama would be different.

My mom had arranged through her department to let us stay in Panama until my sister and I graduated. This came as a shock to me, three years would be the longest I’d lived anywhere. What if I didn’t like Panama? What if I actually decided I wanted to move rather than tough it out for three long, never-ending years? What if the students were mean and narrow-minded? What if they already had their own circle of friends and didn’t allow new ones?

Fast forward three years.

You can find me walking along Balboa Academy’s halls laughing loudly, being mercilessly teased by my friends, and happier than I’ve ever been before. It was hard at first, but now I love Panama more than anywhere else I’ve lived. I have the best friends ever who understand my loud personality and my occasional dumb comments. What’s more, I have had experiences here that I couldn’t have had anywhere else. If I’d stayed in Paris, where I had lived before, I never would have been an extra for a James Bond movie with one of the best Canadians I know and with my sister. If I’d stayed in Paris, I never would have paddled the entire length of the Panama Canal in three days. If I’d stayed in Paris, I never would have flown to Costa Rica for a volleyball tournament or to Guatemala for a leadership conference. Panama has offered me many wild experiences with incredible people.

Even though I didn’t have a choice in the matter, I was certain that moving from Paris to Panama would end up being the biggest mistake I’d ever made and I began regretting it the moment I boarded the plane. Now, I’m starting to prepare myself for another move--this time to college--after three wonderful years in Panama. This time, the move won’t be easier, if anything it’ll be much more difficult. But one thing that my friends in Panama have taught me is to take advantage of the time you have left with people that you care about and not to become preoccupied with the future, or to feel disappointed about the past. Instead, I’ve learned to live every day to the fullest, and the next time I move, I know I’ll do so without any regrets.

Ashley Kula is a senior at Balboa Academy