In 6th grade I was the new girl at a private school. I had a difficult time fitting in. I”ll be honest; I was very awkward and still growing into myself. I had a hard time adjusting to new situations and making friends. I was the quiet, nerdy girl. By seventh grade, I was still awkward, but at least I had friends.

My best friend and I ended up going to the same high school together and that was thrilling. However, she was a social butterfly and I remained a caterpillar. She was tall, blonde, sporty, beautiful and a flirt. I was shy, quiet, awkward, and nerdy. She would tell me all of her secrets and I'd tell her mine. We promised that we would always stay in touch after high school. Best Friends forever, right?

Our senior year rolled around. A little too fast it seemed. To my surprise, my friend no longer wanted to hang out with me and our other friends. She said that she wanted to move on and be more adventurous. At first, I was hurt. What happened to best friends forever? However, as time went on, I stopped caring. I had to accept the fact that my friend and I were no longer as close as we had been.

In fact, it was like we flip-flopped. My friend who used to be the envy of every girl in school, is now pitied by all of them. She looks so tired and stressed out and she doesn't try to put together a cute outfit. She is no longer stunningly beautiful. Too much partying finally got to her. I underwent a complete transformation my senior year. I am no longer shy, awkward, and nerdy. I get compliments from random people almost everyday on my hair, clothing, or even beauty. I am outgoing and friendly and “adorable” as many people say. The ugly duckling has turned into a beautiful swan.

I don't think that this would have happened to me if my friend hadn't left me. When I look back, I realize that our friendship had been going down the drain and I just didn't want to see it. I was forced to live in her shadow for all of our friendship. She dominated me and judged me. I felt like I couldn't be myself around her. It's funny how things change over time and don't matter as much as they once did. But change doesn't always have to be a bad thing. It may not seem like it at first. But sometimes, when the tides of life shift, we discover who we really are inside.