Some say change can be scary, others say embrace it. I used to be afraid of change, of what might force me to escape my comfort zone. Everyone goes through change throughout their lifetime whether it’s wanted or not. For me, change had its biggest impact on my life during my senior year of high school. I was just your average teenage girl, I had the three best friends anyone could ask for, the normal teenage drama, but was not the most confident girl. One event in particular would change my life forever, and it would require me to step out of my comfort zone and take risks. My name is Hanna, and this is my story.
I was never one to take chances. It was always my girls and me doing our thing. I could pretty much tell them anything without them judging me. We were a pretty tight circle and never in a million years did I think that would change. It wasn’t something that happened overnight. We gradually drifted apart until we barely spoke anymore.
It all began one day when Brooke and I were talking to our friend, Ally, on spare. She was talking about how she liked to visit her friends who were away at school and party with them. She mentioned how she was going down again the upcoming weekend and invited us to go. Brooke, being very outgoing, instantly agreed to go, but I was hesitant. I barely knew the people, and it was most definitely not in my comfort zone. After much convincing from Brooke, I finally caved in and was actually a little excited to go.
I never would have thought this night would change the way I lived my life, or would bring me close to people who I would say hi to in the school halls and think nothing of it. It was after this night that I knew my life was about to change for the better. I had new friends now, and it was crazy how it all happened.
First there was Brooke. I’d been friends with Brooke since grade seven and we became best friends shortly after. Brooke is the type of girl who doesn’t care what people think of her. She is very open minded and will stand up for anything she believes in. We had the same best friends, and we went through this change together, but it impacted us both quite differently.

Next there was Maya. We both worked at the same place and we quickly became friends. We both shared the same sense of humour and could both be narcissistic at times. Maya is the type of girl who seems so confident and outgoing on the outside, but on the inside will always have that one thing that keeps her guard up.
Then there was Ally. I met Ally in seventh grade when we were in the same class. We’d always been friends but it was on and off. Ally’s the type of girl you can tell anything to and she won’t judge you. She gives the best advice and you can always count on her to be there for you. She has the sweetest personality, but she is a tough girl. This leads me to Kendra. Kendra is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. She has been through a lot, but she never lets it fully get her down. She is very honest and this can sometimes get her into trouble. Kendra is very straightforward and is not afraid to be herself around anyone. Then there was me. I’m just your average teenage girl. I stress over all the usual things; boys, school, family. I’m a relatively shy person and I’m not usually myself around people I just met. Let’s just say, I’m not very confident in myself. But it is safe to say this all changed once I met these girls.
No one could have ever seen this coming. We were five different girls who were in different cliques and we became best friends. It takes time to completely trust people with all that you have, but for us, it seemed to happen really fast. To this day, I still can’t believe how we all came together.
It became a regular routine that we visit our friends at school, or they would come home and visit. It was them too, that I became close with. There was Tucker, who was your typical jock type guy. He regularly went to the gym, and to some, could be very intimidating, although he was quite small. He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind even if it meant offending someone, but for the most part it was all in good humour. In some ways he’s still a little kid, but when it comes down to it, he can be an adult when he needs to be. Although he makes fun of us girls quite frequently, we all know that if we needed him, he’d always be there for us. This leads me to Nathan. Nathan and Tucker are best friends, and pretty much inseparable. They share the same sense of humour and are very honest people. Nathan doesn’t care what people think of him, he’s too caught up living his life for himself, not for others. Of course there were others, but they didn’t impact my life as much as these people did.
It was quite often that you could find all of us spending our weekends together whether it be at home, or away. We could always manage to find something to do, either sober or drunk. Either way, it was always a good time. It wasn’t much longer until Brooke and Nathan started dating, which only brought the group closer together. It’s amazing how your life can change so fast and you don’t even realize until you sit and think about it for a while. It seems as though this happened all too fast, but in reality, we just go together like peanut butter and jelly.
We all have our inner relationships within the group, but that doesn’t weaken us one bit. If anything, it makes us stronger when we’re all together. We’re the kind of bunch that can joke and make fun of each other, but no matter what, we can always depend on each other to be there for us if we ever needed them.
Never would I ever think that, I, Hanna, would be this open towards people I have known for less than a year. Or, that I would let them change me into a better person. That I would be able to step out of my comfort zone and see what else this world has to offer and what other people are out there. It just goes to show that anything is possible if you put your fears aside and let others in.
Like I said, meeting these people changed my life. I’m not quite sure how it happened, but I’m not the same person I used to be. It was something these people did that helped shape who I am today. I am more confident in myself and I have no other explanation then these people. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about my old life, and old friends, but as the saying goes “everything happens for a reason.” I don’t regret losing them as best friends because I know they’ll always be there for me and vice versa. I’ve learned to accept that change is good and it must be something that is embraced and not feared. If you ever get the chance to step outside of your comfort zone, do it, because you never know what might happen if you don’t.