Embracing Change

Change is an inseparable part of nature: seasons come and go; species adapt over time. Yet, humans remain fundamentally different. We are utterly adverse to change. We structure our lives according to routine; we scarcely venture into the unknown; we prefer straight paths (high school to college to career) over more circuitous journeys (gap year, entrepreneurship, living abroad). In a world adverse to change, I hope to encourage my audience to embrace it. My father’s passing could have been an obstacle; it could have closed doors of opportunity and pressed my family into mourning. Instead, I embraced the unexpectedness of life, and in doing so, turned tragedy into a chance for a new beginning. I embraced a new country, a new language, new friends, even a new father. The world is full of unknowns, but we shouldn’t approach them with fear; we should explore them with courage and curiosity.