This is inspired by a recent conversation I had with my mom. As this is my senior year, we’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on my time in high school and how it hasn’t changed who I am and the values I stand for. Plenty has happened that could’ve changed my character, but I stood, and will continue to stand strong in what I believe.

It’s super easy to get caught up in current trends, drama, and gossip. Many tend to get whisked away by others, bending and changing to fit into what society may call “normal”, but what is “normal” any way?

Van Gogh was onto something here. Normal is just a term used by society to make us conform to its ways, discouraging the idea that we’re allowed to be who WE want to be and not what others want. When we stick to who we are, that’s where the beauty really exists. It’s easy to just “go with the flow” of what others are doing around us, but if it’s something that you don’t agree with you don’t have to follow it. Be proud of who you are!

Growing up, I didn’t have the most normal life. We live on a ranch in South Texas and would have to drive an hour to school everyday. When I decided that I wanted to play club soccer, we would drive two hours one way three times a week for practice and then travel on the weekends for games. As high school rolled around, we ended up splitting our time in San Antonio during the week so I could attend Saint Mary’s Hall, the same high school my mother attended. Now, it isn’t what you would expect, but I wouldn’t change anything about my life. It’s uniqueness has shaped me into who I am and what I value most. In fact, I even went as far as writing my college admissions essay about how my childhood has helped me become someone who I am proud to be.

Don’t give into a cookie cutter life. Freestyle it and make your own outline! Go out and chase the flowers, straying from the path most easily traveled.