Growing and changing

It was during a conversation today that I realized how different I am now from when I was eighteen. In particular, how outgoing I am these days, compared to back then. Yeah, I'm still on a tad the shy side in some ways. (Never mind that if I'm working then I'm fine asking random people "How can I help you?" That's different.) But looking back at where I was when I took my first class at PCC...

When I first started at PCC, I sat at the back of the classroom. I only participated in class discussion just enough to avoid getting my grade dinged, since that was a requirement. And I think I will always have branded in my memory the following: staring at my desk as though it was the most fascinating thing in the world while I shared my thoughts with the English class.

I also tended to hide in books during class breaks, though in my first math class (that was during my second term) I would practice math instead of reading. It got to the point where my math professor kicked me out of the classroom during our break once the weather turned nice. I am not kidding. My math professor kicked me out of the room so I would get fresh air, and maybe even talk to people, instead of doing math.

She was awesome.

Fast forward a few terms though, and I started sitting at the front of the classroom while happily taking part in class discussions. Especially in my English classes. I even stopped hiding in books during the breaks, so I could talk to people. Which is probably lucky, since that's how I met my boyfriend.

It's a bit interesting to look back at how I was when I first became an adult, and look at how I've changed since then.