Everyone remembers their first day of school freshman year–the butterflies in your stomach as you struggled to find your first class before the bell rung. Maybe you remember getting lost, being late to all of your classes, or making an awful first impression on your teachers. The feeling of being vulnerable in an unfamiliar place is nerve wracking and terrifying.

For most people, the first day of freshman year only happens once in a lifetime and becomes easy to laugh about after a couple weeks. Adjusting to a new school can be difficult for anyone, but for students who are constantly moving, it becomes a routine.

Junior Gabbi Oppenheimer recalls how difficult it was moving around all the time during her childhood.

“As a child, I moved around a lot because of my dad’s job as a college basketball coach,” Oppenheimer said. “Every time he changed schools and coached different teams, my family and I would have to relocate and move to a different state.”

According to Oppenheimer, she has moved over six times from different places such as California, Israel, Pittsburg, Delaware, and Illinois. Moving around so often socially affected her as a child because she wasn’t able to form long lasting friendships.

“It was hard to develop long lasting friendships,” Oppenheimer said. “I didn’t have very many close friends as a child because I knew I would have to leave them when my dad’s job relocated.”

One of her most difficult moves was from Delaware to Glenview when she was six years old, according to Oppenheimer.

“I had just made my first real best friend, and it was so hard for me to leave her,” she said. “It was so hard for me to accept that Bridget and I could not stay friends because of the distance between us.”

Although moving took its toll on Oppenheimer as a child, she also believes it has made her stronger.

“Moving around so much as a child has made me adaptable and very good with change, which has benefited me greatly today,” she said.

Her favorite place she has lived is Glenview, because of the impact she has made on the town and the life long friendships she has formed, according to Oppenheimer.

“All the activities I am involved in at Glenbrook South, such as Poms and TV have given me amazing experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

Junior Celine Waterschoot has also moved around frequently throughout her life.

“When I was younger I moved from Holland, to Belgium, to Germany,” Waterschoot said. “Then freshman year I moved to the United States.”

The reason for moving was her mother’s occupation as a scientist, according to Waterschoot.

“The hardest part of moving for me was leaving my friends and family,” she said.

Although moving was difficult for Waterschoot, it has also provided her with exposure to new places and experiences.

“My favorite place I have lived has been here, because I love Chicago and have made so many new friends here,” Waterschoot said.