365 days ago, my mom took me last minute Christmas shopping. 365 days ago, we decided to get a drink at Starbucks. 365 days ago, we talked about all the fun we had in Maui. 365 days ago, my mom told me we where moving back to Vancouver in the summer. 365 days ago, I didn’t want to lose all friendships I had made.

December 23, 2013, will always leave a neon mark in my memory. After my mom told me that we were going to move, my reactions were unimaginable. First, I stood up and threw out my Hot Chocolate in the trash and ran for the car. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, or be near anyone. Throughout the whole 15 minute car ride, I looked out the window, not saying a single word. When we arrived home, my sister was waiting for me to play with her by the door. I pushed her over and sprinted for my room, holding back what felt like a tsunami of tears. I cover myself in my bed covers, wanting the world to go away. My dad eventually came in. I told him to get out, but before he left, he said that I could tell 3 close friends. I quickly grabbed the closest phone to me and typed in my best friend’s number. When she answered, I was sobbing so I had to explain to her what happened. After 20 minutes, we were both sobbing. I didn’t know what I could do without her. After 60 minutes of sobbing, and dialling phone numbers, it was dinner. My brother and sister had no idea why I was playing with my food, and wore an awful scowl, as they had no clue that we were going to move to Vancouver. I wasn’t hungry so I excused myself and went back into my tissue-filled room. I didn’t sleep that night. Or any nights after that. Those were my first reactions to 365 days ago.

The days passed, Cole and Cate got told, and everyone was mad and upset. It eventually became time to go back to school. I was dreading going to school, as a child dreads getting shots. The day finally came when I had to walk into the classroom while thinking, ‘I’m never going to see these people ever again.’ I sat down at my desk and burst out into tears. Nobody except three people (and my teacher) knew so everyone was worried. My teacher told the class and I burst into tears once more. I didn’t want to be at school. I didn’t want to be at home. I didn’t want to be anywhere, 365 days ago.

I know that Vancouver is only a short ferry ride away, but I made friendships with amazing people that I never wanted to end. I don’t know what I could do without them. I love Vancouver, and I have a few friends there, but leaving my best friend, and all my other friends, would have felt like a a part of me was left behind in Victoria, 365 days ago.

(P.S, you may not know that eventually my parents did change their mind and we stayed in Victoria. I had never felt as much happiness as I felt on that day. The moral to this story, is to never give up in what you think is right. It worked for me, anyway!:) )