If I were to relive my life all over again, there would be, without a doubt in my mind, a myriad of things I would choose to omit. And even more so than the former, there would be an even stronger amount of events, actions, ideas, and relationships I would want to have retained as-is, for I have learned that they have worked out for the better. My life has been a bit of a rollercoaster (but whose hasn’t been at one point?). I’ve heard people say that a life full of constant ups and downs isn’t healthy, but I can attest that it is completely normal for an adolescent growing up, especially when dealing with the innumerable amount of conflicts (e.g., anxiety, depression, self-harm, etc.) that may arise during inarguably the most difficult time period of one’s life, to experience emotional and psychological swings. For me personally, there has been a vast amount of both positive and negative things that have come into my life, but I guess that’s the same with everyone. (In my opinion, it’s just a matter of when those events come into play. And unfortunately, life can be, and often times will be, a bitch, and the worst of things can come at what one thought was the best time of their life.) For example, being able to live all over the country, including, more notably, my previous residence in Hawaii for three years, is to be envied by some, and to be sympathized with by others. Honestly, the latter of the two attitudes tend to stem from those in their later stages in life, as they have had more experience in life than those who, to be honest, were awestruck by what seemed to them to be a surreal experience. One would think that being able to live all over the country would be something one should feel lucky to do. However, it has not been the paradise some see to paint with the brushes of the media, who have, with hopefully-positive intentions, depicted the lifestyle of traveling the country as an opulent and favorable one. That may be true to a certain extent, but when your family is contractually obligated to stay within the borders in which they were assigned, you need to begin to make the most of it. Although I was younger at the time, and I had not realized it until shortly after I had moved to Connecticut, there’s something going on in your head when you move somewhere and you know you can only stay so long. Does it seem reasonable enough to attempt to establish relationships at that point? The obvious answer may seem as if you probably should, due to the fact that you’re going to be there for a few years. However, there’s that moment of self-evaluation you must run by yourself first. If you’re the type of person who can’t handle cutting off a relationship, then it’s a major moral dilemma you have on your plate. You can bitch and moan to your family all you want, but it’s not like they can plead to stay. Sure, my dad is doing what’s right for his country, and there was that point in my life where I felt that he was putting his country before his family. I had later realized that is not true. A man puts his family before his country. A man puts his family before his money. Hell, a man puts his family before himself. And that’s what really hit me. Not only my dad, but both of my parents were always putting me before themselves. I really didn’t know how good I had things. After meeting the people I’ve met in the past five years, I realized how much of a piece of shit I was to complain to, to argue with, and to say and do things to the people that were only trying to do the best for me. And here I am, constantly debating myself over who’s more important in life: myself, or my family.