Politics, sports, family, school. These are just a few examples of the wide variety of topics I could have picked to write about. Instead, I chose the very thing that has been responsible for my countless fits of anger, sadness and anxiety over the past couple of months: the future. On May 24, the world as I know it will be no more.

That day, I, along with many of my classmates, will return to the U.S. from our three-month trip in Israel and will go our separate ways. On that day, my CESJDS career will officially end and I will be forced to leave behind my childhood and seemingly begin my life anew. Responsibility and independence will come at levels I have not yet experienced in my life, especially since I am going to have to learn to manage all of my time by myself in college and later begin my job search.

The friendships that I spent the last six years creating and solidifying will be tested as I am hurled into the world of the unknown. I do not want to think about my fears, but it seems impossible not to, as there is so much to worry about. I am scared of losing my old friendships while at the same time, I am scared I will not create new ones. I am scared that my college experience will pale in comparison to my time spent here at JDS.

Obviously my fears are irrational, but they are fears that exist nonetheless. The important thing that I must remember is that it is not just me. Everyone, from JDS and around the world, is going through the same thing. We are all scared of the future, yet we are also intrigued by what it offers.

The only way that I will ever find out what will happen is if I let go of my past and jump headfirst into the future. Even though the future is scary, I cannot avoid it. Instead of hiding from it, I have to embrace it. While I must say goodbye to JDS, a thought I am saddened by, I have the opportunity to say hello to a world full of mystery and endless possibilities.