Four

In the summer of 2004, my life got flipped, turned upside down. (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air anyone?)
Mind you, I was only 10 years old, but I can honestly pinpoint that time as a huge turning point for me.

I moved.
Yep, a move in between the fourth and fifth grades altered my life.

My mom got remarried in June of 2004 and it was time for us to move to a small town in Northern California that I honestly didn't even know the name of for a few weeks until after we had moved in. I had to leave all my friends that I'd known since birth and go to this new place with seven new siblings that I couldn't remember the names of most of the time and a million other things. And I remember being so angry. And obviously I cried because I tend to do that when I don't like something. (I swear I'm aging in reverse. I'll I want to do is sleep and I cry when I don't get what I want. Am I the next Benjamin Button?)

The first few years were a blur - a lot of adjusting and adjusting again, starting at not one but two new schools, a broken wrist somewhere in there, (I think there was A's tennis racquet incident too), trying new things and then stopping them, getting ahead and falling behind - you know, the normal problems that come to a pre-teen. Let me tell you, that phase of life is just the best.

Then it blended into middle school which is also just the highlight of my life. So much greatness happened there. Okay, but no. Middle school was the worst. Those three years of EVERYONE'S life should just be spent in a closet or something and I'm just so grateful that I don't have braces anymore and I finally learned that some styles should be left to die (Never go with the fads. And don't wear like 20 different colors, B, like what were you thinking).

High school was better. I met people I can say have shaped me into the person I am today. I really feel like that's when I first decided to 'stick it to the man' and live my life for ME. Plus I met the greatest people ever and I really learned to appreciate the podunk town I lived in. It is a part of me in everything that I do.

While this is really a crash course in the story of my life, there is a point. What good came from the move?

My family grew exponentially.

I gained SEVEN new siblings. They've taught me how to love and how to laugh. They've taught me patience and acceptance. They've taught me how to live life to the fullest and to go out and experience the world. More importantly they've how best to tackle someone to get the gift card you want off the tree for Christmas and the appropriate colors for frosting when you want to shove someone's face in a cake and make them have colors up their nose (and ears) for the next few days.

I gained a bunch of adopted brothers - my bulldogs. They've made me feel special and not only needed, but wanted. They taught me to keep my standards high, but also that it's okay to let loose every once in a while. They've taught me the power of friendship that is so strong, it's life-long. They're more than just people to hang out with when I get bored. They're the ones that would find a way to make it halfway across the world if I needed them. They're also really great at "What if?" hypothetical situations that make class more interesting.

My biggest family addition was the town. Everyone in that small community reaches out in a time of need. They taught me the importance of service and giving. They taught me that it was okay to talk to that person on the street if you knew them. That they're your biggest cheerleaders and will be there long after you toss your cap at graduation. And while I sometimes hated the fact that nothing was private, I secretly loved the fact that I knew someone was always looking out for me.

That town is me. Every spot has a memory, a story, that reminds me how wonderful it was to live there. And that though I've moved on, it's frozen in time, always ready to welcome me back.