New country. New language. New faces.

My first day of 8th grade was quite unusual. Everyone was talking in their little groups and sharing stories about the summer. I was under the impression that everyone knew each other since kindergarten and I was the only one who did not know anyone.

I moved to Boston from Montreal, Canada during the summer between 7th and 8th grade. I first learned that I was going to move to Boston at the beginning of 7th grade.

I was excited that I would be able to go to the beach every day during the summer (or so I thought). I was also excited to explore somewhere very different. I thought I would be the coolest kid because I was moving to another country!.

However, after a short period of time, I also realized I would actually have to speak English everyday. I would actually have to leave my friends and my whole little world behind in Montreal. That was less exciting to think about.

When the time came for my first day of 8th grade at Driscoll, I was not as enthusiastic. However, I soon found out that people were really friendly, and there were many similarities between Montreal and Boston.

The hardest part of moving here was probably not seeing or speaking to my friends everyday anymore. Montreal is not too far, only about six hours by car, but I usually only go back once every three to four months. It is hard to keep in touch with people over there.

What helped me the most through the transition was music. Playing cello helped me so much during those hard times because whenever I felt alone, I knew I could always count on my cello and my music.

Looking back, I would tell other students moving to different countries to take risks, to not be afraid of mispronouncing words and to find a source of happiness through love, family or a hobby. With time, things will get better. Even though moving to a new country, where you don’t know anyone and barely speak the language, is so incredibly intimidating, your experience will be much better if you confront the challenges head on.

One of my biggest musical inspirations is the cellist Jacqueline Du Pré. She once said, “The greatest thing is, at any moment, to be willing to give up who we are in order to become all that we can be.”

So for those of you who were once shy like me, do not let fear or embarrassment control you. If you have a strong accent and can’t say “tsunami” do not worry; I have found that Americans love accents. Do not be scared to socialize with others because it can be very surprising how welcoming and nice people can be when you open up and take a leap of faith.

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