Normal is Overrated.

This past week was arguably one of the best weeks of my life. I had the amazing opportunity to travel to BC to spend some much needed time with my family and friends. One of the reasons I was so excited to emabark on this adventure was because it was one of the first trips I have ever taken without my parents, so the idea of being independent absolutely thrilled me.

Somedays, I still find it difficult to view myself as a "normal" eighteen year old. In the last couple of weeks leading up to my vacation, it seemed to me as though everywhere I turned I was constantly reminded of my personal limitations and, I wanted nothing more than to escape my reality. In my previous blog, I wrote about how even though we may not realize it, we learn something new every single day.This week, I learned a very important lesson. Normal is overrated. Personally, I think this world would be a pretty boring place if we all made a conscience effort to blend in with one another. I learned that it is better to live wholeheartedly and spontaneously,rather than spend my time worrying about how I appear different from everyone else. Life is too short to waste time being angry about our circumstances. Even though I still encounter some trying times every now and then, I always try to live the best life I can with what I have been given.

One of the most memorable parts of my vacation was playing volleyball with a bunch of my family and friends. When the game started, I was sitting in my wheelchair. Eventually, I made the decison to leave my wheelchair behind and get down on my hands and knees in the grass, so that I could freely move. This was at my cousin's engagement party and, I will never forget the looks on the faces of those I had never met when I started diving for the ball just like everyone else. Unlike the typical volleyball game, we twisted the rules a little bit. Every time I hit the ball, a point was awarded to my team. The only downfall was that I woke up with very sore hips the next morning, but I didn't care!

So you see, life should not be worrying about how you may be different from those around you. I have learned that life is about having fun despite our challenges.