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Transitioning to a new school

I remember clearly when Mum, Dad and my sisters dropped me off at Boarding School.

My heart was pumping, I was sweating, my mouth was dry and I was convincing myself I was ready. Ready for what, I did not know? My default to this overwhelming uncertainty before me was to take a slow breath and repeat the mantra, “I am ready. I am ready.”

As I cried and hugged my loved ones good bye, I took my new schools bags and old guitar to my bed and began to unpack.

Instinctively I took out my little cattle buyer’s note book and began writing down a few words, the start of a letter to my best mate, back home.   I instinctively told him what a great bloke he was and how I missed him and couldn’t wait to catch up in the holidays in 10 weeks time.

This new environment and unfamiliar experience engaged my gratitude and the act of placing pen to paper anchored me physically and emotionally to the present moment and enabled me to express my feeling of fear and longing for the past.

I would use letter writing throughout my time away as a healthy coping mechanism, outlet for creativity and a positive form of expression. Little did I realise I was cultivating a skill for life.

I had three friends from my hometown, who were also starting at the same time, so I was lucky. We were all in it together. In addition to this, my assigned buddy, turned out to be a mate for life.

Today, he and his family are dropping off their boys to school. Transition times are challenging and from little things, big things grow, so I send positive vibes to them all.

I think I will write him and his family a letter!