A Change For the Better

You pack your bag knowing that this is a change for the better. You are twenty two and still living with your parents so it’s definitely time to move out and start your own life. Because your parents live by Bucingham Palace you are going to move to a small apartment in Canterbury, so that you’re not too far away in case you need anything or they need you to come home for some reason. You have been offered a nice job as an editor by one of your parents' friends so you decide to take it, knowing that it is your best option for now. By train, the trip is only an hour and forty two minute ride and your parents have even offered to pay the ticket, so that seemed like your best option. 

You look around your room one more time to see if there is anything else that you need to squeeze into your suitcase. Everything should be packed by tonight because your train leaves early in the morning and it would be a really bad start to this whole new chapter in your life to miss your train so you're not taking any chances. You see your old teddy bear in your closet and decide to put it in your bag. You don’t know why you put it in, but it seems like in every movie the person moving out brings their old stuffed animal so you decide to as well, just for good measure. 

After you lie the teddy bear on top of all of the clothes and books that you're bringing your father walks into the room. “Why are you bringing Old Bailey?” your dad asks using that old name for the teddy bear that you never use any more. You reply with a shrug because you're kind of embarrassed that he noticed. Then he tells you that dinner is ready and then reminds you how hard your mother has worked to make this last family dinner the best one that she can by preparing almost all of the food that we own. He walks out of the room (probably because he wants first dibs on all of the food) and you try to close your suitcase. After a lot of effort it finally is able to zip shut and you walk down the stairs with a pleased look on your face for defeating the suitcase. 

Dinner was amazing with almost every type of food you can imagine but dessert was even more spectacular. For dessert everyone had homemade hot fudge sundaes with every topping that anyone could dream of putting on ice cream, including bacon! After the meal, your parents insist that you all watch a family movie because they know that is one of your favorite activities to do as a family. It was hard for you to say no but you needed to show responsibility and so you said that you needed to get a good night's rest for tomorrow's train ride and they accepted that and stopped their nagging. 

As you crawl into your bed that you have had sense you were eight for the last time, you know that your future which lay ahead of you seems promising, and you know that whatever it took, no matter how hard it was, that you would succeed at your job and get a promotion in no time. 

The next morning you were up at seven thirty, which was not normal for you who always slept until at least ten. You parents, who were both early risers, already had eggs, bacon, and english muffins ready for us all to eat, which they knew was your favorite thing for breakfast. That's when it hit you that at your apartment, you wouldn't have your parents to do these things for you. You would no longer live in the comfort of knowing that there were people to pay the bills and fix the car. You decided that worrying was for later and getting on to the right train was the only concern right now. 

Your parents would have both agreed to walk you to the train station just to be sure that you got onto the right train, but they each had their jobs to get to, so you were on your own this time. As you walk out the door you take in a slow deep breath and let it out. You were on your own now but you were very confident, you know that you can do this. Thankfully you know the way to the train station because you have been there many times before with your dad when he went on business trips, but all of that is over now. No more business trips with your father no more being dragged along by your mother to the grocery store. It’s just you in this huge world. The feeling that comes after that thought is scary but ready. 

The walk seems longer than it used to feel and the buildings seem bigger, but you're guessing that it’s just your imagination because this is the first time you have walked here alone. After what seems forever, you ask someone who looks like a local if you are close to the train station. They so kindly give you directions and you realize that you have passed it. Laughing to yourself you thank the man and tell him that you hope he has a wonderful day. He wishes you the same and walks off wherever he could be going, probably work you think. Soon, you think to yourself, soon you will be the one giving directions while walking to work. Soon you will be living happily in an apartment with a well paid job. You have never been more excited in your life, you will make new friends and go to parties. Finally you will have what you have never had before, your own life. Suitcase in had you head to the station, ready to start this new amazing adventure in your life.