By Tarah Catalano, Reporter
I’ll never forget the day. It was cold, just about to snow, and my mom made my boyfriend Josh go home early for no apparent reason. Being typical Tarah, I got mad at her, but little did I know that would be the least of my worries.
On Feb. 17, I found out I was moving halfway across the country to South Carolina, right before my senior year. I sobbed, I screamed, I ran out of the room, I thought I was going to collapse from the shock. I hated my parents. All I could think was ‘no, this isn’t happening.’
I called Josh and my mom called my best friend Lindsay. Lindsay and I sat and cried while Josh tried his best to comfort me. Though the loving words and friendly promises were cherished, nothing would help.
The next three weeks were the worst of all. Some days I was up, trying to forget about the heartbreak; other days I was down. Way down. I remember day after day coming home from school just to cuddle with my pillow and cry.
Once the word got out at school, ‘I’m so sorry’ got old real quick. People would tell me how I could be whoever I wanted to be in a new town, but hearing that just made me even more sad. I like who I am and I don’t want to change that. I didn’t want people to pity me; I just wanted to make my last year at Kaneland the best.
Now every time I drive through Elburn I think of the old memories that grew here. Elburn’s my home. I remember back in the day when the get-away spot was Lion’s Park to play sand-toucher with all the neighbors, riding bikes up to Alice’s Place (one of my oh-so favorites), and walking up to Gliddon’s Drug Store to get handfuls of candy.
I’d have to say my favorite part about growing up in Elburn was playing sports. I played Elburn basketball and softball from first through eighth grade. It’s where I met the majority of my middle school friends. I used to love baseball and softball season kick-off days at Lion’s ark every spring where we’d play ball for hours on end.
And of course, I could never forget Elburn Basketball’s All-Star Spectacular. To this day I can still brag about my unforgettable buzzer shot to win the championship back in the seventh grade.
Elburn is a big part of my whole family’s lives. My mom owned her own flower shop, my dad was the president of Elburn baseball and softball, and we kids, well, we loved the perks of living my Lion’s Club. Every Fourth of July, we have the perfect view of the tremendous fireworks from my house. Not to mention, I only have to walk 30 feet and I’m at ‘A Day in the Park.’ And even though I’m 17, it still breaks a little piece of my heart to know that my last Elburn Days was rained out.
Living in Elburn also led me to one of my favorite places around. Kaneland. I know what you’re thinking: ‘why in the world would school be one of her favorite places?’ I’m not crazy; I’m just proud to be a Knight. A part of me always loved the small town feel, like you see in the movies, at every football game and the fact that everybody knows everybody. It’s what makes KHS a home.
Kaneland is where I grew up and is what I’ll miss the most. I’m not that naive to think that I’ll hold on to all the friends I’ve made through middle and high school forever, but I don’t regret meeting any one of them. Whether they know it or not, each person has changed me into the person I am today.
I still get a little emotional when I think about moving away. I think about being hundreds of miles away from Josh, I think about all the fun things my friends will do without me during their senior year, and I think about stepping away from everything that’s warm and familiar to me.
Here is where I stepped into a classroom for the first time, where I hit my first triple, where I made my first true friends, where I got my first job, and where I met my first love. It’s a place that I will never forget.
As painful as it is, when I think more and act a little more mature about the situation, I realize that my parents aren’t trying to hurt me. My dad got a promotion and there was nothing they could do. I realized that my harsh words to my parents and in my thoughts weren’t going to make the move any easier.
Most of all, I’ve learned that a part of growing up is letting go. I suppose I just wasn’t ready to let go of some of the friends who let go of me first once they found out I was moving. This hurt, but in return, I’ll treasure the ones who will be there. The ones who laughed and cried with me through thick and thin. And trust me, this is a thick one.
So I guess all there is left for me now is just to hope. Hope the new opportunities in South Carolina are great, hope my friends stay in touch, and hope to God my parents let me fly back up every month.
I also hope that I can leave my mark. I know I’m just your average, ordinary teenage girl. I’m not first in my class or the star point guard, but I still wonder: did I make an impact on Kaneland? Will I be remembered?
And–I still ask myself, why me? I got that answer through a friend. She told me that the world doesn’t through the tough stuff at people who can’t handle it.
Maybe moving isn’t the end of the world, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget those words. Just like I’ll never forget my home. Elburn is the place I’ll always find myself coming back to, as cheesy as it sound. The memories and adventures I’ve experienced while living here will carry on forever. I don’t think I could have asked for a better place to grow up.