Life is full of changes and while some are better than others, they’re inevitable. About three years ago today, I moved many miles from every thing I knew. Not only did I leave the friends that I grew up with, I left the majority of my family. My mom and I moved several times as I was growing up, but with all the moves, we stayed in the same general area. I moved from a highly populated area to a farm with almost the same amount of acres as my old neighborhood. I went through a culture shock.

Of course, moving comes with a variety of emotions which I felt full on. Trying to adjust was very difficult at first. Just imagine the lifestyle and the routine that you go through daily, then changing it completely. Going from a life of going to the beach whenever I wanted to the life of feeding my pet pigs and cows was a wake up call that all of this was real. Bitterness and stubbornness were my initial emotions.

Three years later and I now enjoy the “yee yee” life. Fishing has become a summer thing that I enjoy doing and it relaxes me. While I very much have adjusted and prefer the easy going and slow paced life of the south, there will always be a part of me that will love Pork Roll and Dunkin Donuts. I have surprised myself with the things I do, because at one point I discouraged it as much as possible.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned with the move is that change is always going to happen. Life isn’t going to stop just because you want to. You should enjoy the best of every day and make the best of every situation. Three years ago, I never would have thought that I would be thanking my mom for moving or enjoying four-wheelers and fishing on the weekends.