What do you do when you don’t know where you belong? Do you try some place new until you decide you want to stay or do you choose a place to call home and make it work? Before I even moved to the big city of Toronto, I never quite felt like I belonged. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and friends I got to know in this town I grew up in; I’m just not sure it’s home for me.

While growing up, I was never the popular girl or the person others were envious of, but I was pretty content with who I was. I was never peer pressured into doing any of the significant things I didn’t want to, like drugs or going to parties. Some would call me too cautious, but I just saw it as always looking out for number one, myself. Because I went to such a small school, it gave me the opportunity to participate in as many extra-curricular activities I could think of. In short, I was the artistic, athletic, always-on-the-go nerd. I had close friends I enjoyed hanging out with, but I always found more pleasure in learning a new sport or becoming president of another club. However, in university, I got the chance to break free out my comfort zone for the first time. I had to meet new people I had never heard about before (in a small town, news travels pretty fast). I’m so glad that I started opening myself to being more sociable because I met two of my best friends there. Still, at that point in my life, I didn’t feel like I truly belonged. I had people who loved me and were there to support me no matter what, as they still are, but I needed more.

I made the move to the city completely on my own, blinded. I wasn’t sure this was the right decision before or during my first few months there, but I gave it a shot. This place didn’t have family or friends for me when I first got there, but I made sure to take action and make the best of my time. Luckily for me, I made two amazing friends on my first day of classes, in my new program, at a new college. Did I mention this was all new to me and that I’d never done something so gutsy in my life? My everything was still about making good grades. But, I felt my life come crumbling down as I was falling out of love with my boyfriend at the time. I felt that, above all, I owed it to myself to be truthful about what I wanted out of life. Life to me wasn’t going to see my boyfriend every two months and calling wherever that was home. Home would be a place where I not only felt comfortable living in and was home to the ones I loved, but it would a place where I could grow as a person and challenge myself on a daily basis.Sometimes love for others isn’t enough. 

A great friend made me realize that no one could make me happier than myself. It didn’t matter if you go to the best schools, have the most supportive friends or join more clubs than anyone else probably ever has; all that ever matters is that you’re happy with where your soul is at. When you can truly appreciate who you are becoming as opposed to who you should be, you start living. I have always enjoyed caring for others, but I hadn’t realized until lately how amazing it feels to take care of you. I found my home and it was in the last place I’d ever look: where passion and happiness meet opportunity, in the form of a self-inspired individual.