"Me"

I was about three when my mom and dad got divorced. Going back and forth between my parent’s houses almost every other day was a learning experience; I learned how to balance my life in between difficult circumstances. Long bike rides along the “bike path” while trying to find an activity to do or go to a friend’s house made my day. Just in case you didn’t know, the East Coast “bike paths” is a long strip blacktop that stretches about 6 miles, connecting multiple towns together. Everyone in Linwood, NJ, listened to “99.3 the buzz” on the radio; I did. I’m absolutely positive that the entire population of Linwood, NJ, went to Mainland High School football games on weekends; including me.(Mainland is the high school I would have attended if I still lived in New Jersey, but I’ll get to that story later). Because every town was very close to one another, everyone from the two adjacent towns to Linwood (Somers Point and Northfield) knew each other. Since I was a baby, my mom and dad were there for me for everything; they have always been my “rock” that I can rely on in any circumstance. I’ve definetly gotten their good genes; and yes, some-not-so-good ones, but we’re not going to talk about that. The three day periods of rain and gray skies that are notorious to New Jersey, puts almost everyone in a bad mood.
June 2004, changed my life for ever. Definitely for the better.
I believe it happened for a reason; like everything in life. We moved because my mom had an opportunity to take a wonderful job, and I had a choice to make; either move with her to Arizona or stay in New Jersey with my dad. I chose to move. This was the right choice. the first day of 8th grade in a new school in Arizona was extremely tough, but it also showed me how to adapt to new beginnings. Attending a new school showed me how to meet new friends and how to adjust to new places. It was about a week after school started that people noticed my accent. They would ask me, “where are you from?” and I would reply with “Jersey.” Everyone said that I had a specific accent when I said this, and they started to incorporate my accent with the word “Jersey.” This is where I received my nickname “Jersey”. I couldn’t be happier with this nickname. About a month into being at this new school, I met an incredible amount of new friends, but more importantly I met the friends that I would always have throughout high school and that I call my best friends. And once our family got our new house, after much searching, we were finally able to call it “home.” High school has been some of the best years of my life.
After17 years, my mom and dad have given me some of the best advice and wisdom that I will always use; take things one step at a time, take time to enjoy the little things, be positive about your life otherwise you waste your energy, and do what makes you happy.
These are the things that have made me who I am today; Tyler “Jersey” Goodwin.