Embrace Change
同志社国際中学校

１年

ヴィーンコスキ芽彩

I read a quote once, saying “there are far better things ahead, than any
we leave behind”. In February of 2023, I moved from Australia to Japan. I had
to leave behind many beloved friends and memories. Although it was quitesad, having to leave the things I love, I still believe that despite the negatives
中学生―Ｉ部門of having to leave my home country, it was still a valuable life lesson andexperience to have. Now I will tell you all that I have learnt from myexperience.

First off, being out of your comfort zone is a great thing. Moving schools,
let alone countries was very tricky and took an immense amount of courage. I
was comfortable in Australia, everything was familiar. When I came to Japan,
I felt like I was thrown into a new world of uncertainty and unfamiliarity.
Ever since, I have adapted and overcome many hardships and had to deal
with being uncomfortable. But now as I look back I think, Maybe it was agood thing. To be able to experience something totally new, and having theprivilege to see a whole new side of the world, I have definitely learnt a lot. I
used to think about how unfair it was that I had to leave Australia, until I
realised that I was actually lucky to be able to even go to other countries, ina world where many people cannot. That I was given a huge opportunity totry a new lifestyle. As I see it, in order for us to grow as people, we must
broaden our horizons and take risks.

Next, I have learnt that meeting new people is a beautiful thing. On thefirst days of school here, I was extremely nervous. I had to muster up all mycourage, and when I did, and started talking to more people and making
friends, I realised just how fun it was. Making connections and conversations
with people may be scary at first, but it can lead to many wonderful things. I
have met so many people from all around the world, and I have made many28

new encounters. And from all these encounters, I am lucky enough to be able
to call many of these people my friends. I think it is amazing how fast people
can go from complete strangers to friends. This has made me realise that inthe end, no matter how different we are as people, we are all just humans
after all, and we are made to create bonds and friendships, so we shouldenjoy it!

Lastly, I have truly realised how fast time flies. It feels like yesterday
when I was anxiously sitting in the airport terminal with my family, waiting

memories here. I never realised how much could change in a single year. I
now know how fast time can go “bye!”. I think by living in the present we
can further enjoy our time, and it is the best way to spend our days. In grade
6 in Australia, one of my teachers told me to live with no regrets. He often
said that the only regret we can have is not trying. Although this might soundquite cliche, I firmly believe in it. And till this day, this lesson has stayedwith me. I can now relate to this as for me, this past year has been all about
taking a risk. And true to these words, I don’t regret any of my decisions, notone bit. I think that we should take every opportunity we get, because they
may not come around again. In many ways, I have learnt to appreciate morein life, and to cherish every moment of it.

In the end, this experience has taught me lessons of resilience, friendshipand how taking a leap out of our comfort zones could just be the best thing
we could do for ourselves. My family and I may be moving back to Australia
in two years, and this time, I can look at things in a very different
perspective. Instead of thinking, “I’m scared to leave, what if. . .” I have grown
to think “Although I’m nervous, I’m excited for another challenge, a newadventure,” I say, we should all embrace change, and be spontaneous!

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中学生―Ｉ部門

for the one way flight to Japan. Since then, I have made countless amazing