I've been in high school for just under a month now and, unlike many of my friends, I'm finding it extremely different from middle school.

First off, my middle school (although it was neither Catholic nor private) followed a semi-strict dress code. We had to wear knee-length khaki skirts or non-skinny pants, a ridiculously unflattering polo shirt, and absolutely no bling, patterns, scarves, or other accessories. Additionally, boundaries on creativity were abundant and opportunities to express oneself were limited. I know what you're thinking--shouldn't it be the other way around?

That's what I thought, too. So, when I arrived at my new school that has a reputation for being pretty much the opposite of my former school, I felt liberated. A message of "say what you want to say and be proud of it" exists in pretty much everything from essay prompts to socializing during free periods. 

Surprisingly, after being trapped in the closed-mindedness of my old school for so long, I was confused about what to do with so much creative freedom. I've never been allowed to do whatever I want during a free period, and the prospect of "just chillin" is pretty unfamiliar to me. Rather than taking advantage of this newfound freedom, I find myself spending almost every lunch period quietly reading or listening to music in a cozy corner of the school library.

Now, you see, if you have ever met me, you know that I am not really the anti-social, quiet type. The last thing I want is to go through high school friendless and known as the Wicked Witch of the Library. But, recently I've been finding that it's pretty uninviting to awkwardly stand around and talk to a bunch of teenagers who told me their names but about whom I can remember virtually nothing else. Staying in the library has become my "Comfort Zone," as we like to call it at GLI.

The other day I had a terrifying thought: Oh god, am I turning into a complete "good girl?" Am I losing all senses of assertiveness?

But then I answered myself: NO. As many of you probably know or are discovering, high school is scary. As for me, I'm finding that out more and more everyday.

Nonetheless, I am a real girl and, although I may fail miserably, I'm challenging myself to step out of my library Comfort Zone, and into the social mass Risk Zone. Tomorrow, instead of enjoying my lunch and a book and some Regina Spektor, I'm going to join the intimidating blob of teenagers my age. I'm going to prove that I am not, in fact, a cowardly library dweller, but a Real Girl who, just like every other freshman, is scared out of her brains about this first taste of high school.