The Res

            In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, the reservation represents a state of “nice and safe” familiarity. The reason I say “nice and safe” with such hesitation is because in the, for lack of a better word, general sense, it really is not a nice and safe place. But since Junior has accepted the way others treat him and the belief that he is meant to stay on the reservation for the rest of his life, it is hard for him to imagine leaving it, especially to go to Reardan. I like to keep moving forward in my life and I try my best maintain that mindset. Yet, the more I think about leaving for college, the more life altering it seems. I know that leaving for college is a life changing experience and it’s a huge milestone, but it is hard to move on. I do not want to go to college anywhere locally so I would move pretty far away. I would be leaving behind my family, friends and the sense of familiarity, just like Junior did. But Junior understood that he had to leave his comfort zone and risk everything he had to be able to have a better life. This is exactly what I have to do. There is always some amount of apprehension about making such a huge leap, but its definitely worth it.