It all started nearly 5 years ago. Well lets go back to just before 5 years its more like 7 years ago. It was just before I had moved to England. Though I never expected this move to change my entire life it did. So 7 years ago there I was. Standing in a crowd with graduation caps floating all around me. Hundreds of people screaming in joy. And there I was the odd one out confused on what to do. I mean I just graduated. Everything was done. No more 6:30am wake up calls. No more classes at 7:30am-3:30pm. It was done. I had just finished high school and still didn't know what I planned to do with my life. Everything was just uninteresting. I couldn't think of anything that stuck out to me to even attempt at. I watched as all my classmates choose their schools, wrote there admission essays, picked there pathways, got accepted and here I was. With these full rides to Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, UCLA, MIT, and Columbus dumped in my lap. I never applied to any of these universities. My parents did. I never did a single thing because I don't know what to do with my life. Ive always been the odd-ball in my family.
My family yeah I love them but they can be a bit much. Nothing against them but I wasn't wired the way they were. Specifically my parents and siblings I was more like my grandparents. We don't care about the high society schtick. We would prefer real people versus fake people. Those that will tell you when you fucked up and how to fix it. Not those that will laugh at your failures behind your back. That's my grandparents and I to a T. no fake shit.
But because of that I wasn't paying attention to what my parents were doing when they were having there grand talks with there "friends" I didn't here to bragging on which schools I had been accepted to.
A big fuck off mistake if you ask me.
But whatever. I spoke to my grandparents the most about my confusion about what I direction I wanted to go with my life and the trouble I was having in deciding on a school and degree pathway I wanted to take.
At the end of the day that was the best discussion I had with my grandparetns because not only did they have the same issue growing up they gave me options and ideas on what to do. From joining AmeriCorps and volunteering my services or doing a retreat hell even a gap year. Considering that I worked for the last three years of high school both in my families company and the last two years where I branched off and worked a few different jobs just to keep busy and out of the house that was suffocating me.
I took the gap year and backpacked around the world for a year. If you are wondering how I paid for this all I used the money I saved up from my jobs and booked all my flights in advance so I had a set itinerary of where I was going to go and when I would arrive and how long I'd be there for but that was about it. I didn't book hotels, no Airbnb's nothing. I knew what I was going to eat and had set a budget for what I would spend on food and frugal things or even souvenirs I was going to purchase and when with a budget. My grandparents wanted to pay for my trip but I insisted that I had it because this was my idea, my trip and didn't want to cause an issue between my parents and them. That didn't stop my grandfather from sneaking money into my account when I was already on that first flight. How did I know? Because there was a big fuck off notification on my phone that my bank account had received a huge ass deposit being made. Then followed the email that stated if I even thought of returning the money they would never speak to me again. I know not fair but they wanted me to have fall back money just in case I needed it. I have a feeling they knew I would find what I wanted to do and have the funds to do it without hesitating on it. So I shoved it half of the 500,000 into my savings account and investing to grow and the other half stayed in my checking account.
The day I left kind of went down like some c class/rated spy film. I had a red eye flight so when everyone went to bed I snuck out the house. One solitary backpack with all the belongings I need, a pre-ordered cab waiting down the street, and my new cell phone in hand with my passport I just ordered.
See I may have discussed it with my grandparents but not my parents or siblings. It was probably for the best because I would've found myself locked in my house with no means to escape. Well, except Jasper knew. I don't even know how he figured out I was leaving until he was at the front door waiting for me to say good-bye with a hug and a forehead kiss goodbye and good luck. Jasper said that he hoped I found what I was looking for on this journey. So, I gave him my new number and told him to keep in contact. Which we still do. My parents made some huge hallaballo about the whole thing and complained to anyone who would lend an ear. And don't even get me started on my other siblings. Jasmine, Marlene, and Candace took to social media to yell at me for "ruining there lives" meanwhile Archer, Everett, and Luca hunted down Jasper and got the details from him and message me daily asking how the journeys going. Needless to say I have deactivated my family made social media account and created a new private one. With only 6 following. My brothers and my grandparents.
When the trip had me entering Europe my grandparents told me to stay at there old house in England. Though this is the house they normally rent out to tenants they left it open for me to use. And use it did I. The second I made it to Heathrow I felt like this was it. So I went straight to their house and passed out. I was thoroughly exhausted. I don't think I slept that long in so long. I don't know if it's because of all the hostels I stayed in or what but something about England made me feel like I was home. I felt the sense of this is it. This is what I was looking for.
When I woke up I made up mind on what I was going to do. Sightseeing. Of all the family trips taken to exotic places my family never made it to England. Honestly, that's kind of sad considering Grandma and Grandpa grew up there but I digress. The sights, the streets, the fashion, the green spaces. Everything was just breathtaking. Every sight. Well maybe not every sight but every country has that sight they don't want to see nor acknowledge.
Within the first week of being here I have a good routine going. I start off my day with having a cup of tea watching the sunrise off of the veranda. But today I decided I would apply for university and not tell anyone. My grandparents gave me a call to see how im doing and I can honestly say thank god I went on this trip. I didn't inform them of my plans to go to university here but I think they might know. But first things first which universities are near me and which university suits me more importantly.
As the day slowly became night I was still sitting in front of my computer at this little café with what mustve been my 10th cup of coffee unable to make a decision. Still staring at Oxfords website and many degree breakdown tabs open of what those courses consist of when I look up out the window and see that the sun has finally shinedown on me in what had to have been the dullest day yet. I'm sold. So I bit the bullet and applied then shut my laptop in shock. Did I just do that? Did I just apply to oxford? There's no... oh no I really did. I couldn't refute the truth there was an email notification right there on my phone telling me I really did apply to Oxford.
