My Safe Haven Alyx Andra Horace

Ernest Hemingway once said, “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” From going through twelve years of schooling so far, I’ve learned things far beyond the realm of the classroom setting that I’ve listened to and taken part in academically. I’ve learned about the people and the cultures around me. I’ve learned that the typical know-it-all attitude teenagers sometimes epitomize is a well-earned label that truly reflects their naivety. I’ve learned to navigate the inner-workings of a small business from my father’s tried and true wisdom, the emotional strength and endurance of the human spirit from my mother and what’s more, I’ve learned about myself, and how to feel joy from everyday experiences. When I think of a place where I am truly content, it isn’t just one place, rather, it’s a handful of places with one central feature, and that is the opportunity to learn.

I can’t deny I am without a doubt regretful of the fact that I didn’t find my safe haven to be a learning environment until the end of my sophomore year. My freshman year of high school is a mere blur (and I know, it was just three years ago), but everything was so unfamiliar. New school, new sports teams, new...