Moving and Middle School

Part 2: Moving and Middle School

Some of the toughest things in life growing up: moving and middle school. And what happens when you encounter both life events at the same time? Oh don’t worry, I’ll tell you.

Middle school is brutal. Your body is going through changes, emotions are high, middle school girls can be vicious, and boys are still boys. So imagine starting at a middle school where everyone had grown up together. Friend groups are already formed. And there is no room for a weird little girl that just moved from Idaho.

It was a nightmare.

I was ready to head back to Idaho. In fact, my family was too. Moving to South Carolina from Idaho was a culture shock.

My dad started looking up jobs back in Idaho, but in the meantime we had to stick around here for the rest of the year. So I needed to find some things to occupy myself.

I started calling my friends back home every week. Reading became my favorite hobby. My sisters and I were using the Xbox more than ever.

But I still wasn’t fulfilled.

Then two amazing things came into my life: volleyball and art class. I had played a little volleyball back in 6th grade in Idaho, but nothing like what I had here in South Carolina.

During the day I had the typical school classes, but art class stuck out the most for me. I would doodle during my other classes when I got bored and when it was finally time for my art class my heart would soar. So I was well occupied during the day and there were volleyball practices and games every night. And I made two of my best friends. They ended up standing by my side all throughout high school as well.

So things started to turn around for the Hurt family.

As 7th grade finished and 8th grade began, I grew more serious about volleyball and art. I was making all kinds of fun things in my art class like a plate with a praying mantis painted on it. Which I believe my mom still has!

The great thing about this whole time period – we documented every single second of it with our disposable cameras.

My sisters and I continued to take pictures of EVERYTHING. We took our first trip back to Idaho since the move and I can’t even show all of the pictures because they are THAT embarrassing.

But we continued to document our every day memories, no matter how embarrassing.