The path less traveled on

     Life is a funny thing. At seventeen years old, finally done out of school, I was more eager than most to begin university and start my life. I felt that I was ready. Steered by optimism and absolute certainty, I moved 5,000 miles away from home to a place that was unknown, uncertain and unfamiliar. Regardless of this, I felt that I was so sure in who I was that it wouldn't matter- nothing would change me, nothing would distract me, nothing could touch me. I was invincible- a girl with a plan, a girl with a dream.

    Now, two years later my reality has changed drastically. I have been torn down, thrown this way and that and in the process, I have lost my way. I no longer see clearly the end of this journey; the certainty and clarity of my future has now been muddled, recut and remade with every new experience and every challenge that is thrown my way. It is as if I have been thrown into the middle of a unknown forest with no map, no compass and no one to show me the way out.

However, this is not a disaster. Just because I am lost, does not mean that I cannot find my way. Just because my surroundings are unknown to me does not mean that I am trapped.

If I am without a map, I will make my own.

If I am without a compass, I will use my other skills.

If there is no one to show me the way out, I will make my own path.

We are all in charge of our own destinies. We cannot rely solely on others to find ourselves...

If you find yourself in a time of your life where there is no path, or the path is less traveled upon and unfamiliar... Don't be afraid to continue forward.

Don't be afraid to take the paths in life less traveled upon. The unknown is not something to dread or to be afraid of... It is something to cherish, a time in which you can explore, dream and learn...A time in which you can discover who you are..