Choosing Growth Over Gear

Today, I made a big decision — I sacrificed my dream of buying a camera so I could travel abroad and represent my school internationally. It wasn’t an easy choice. I spent so much time contemplating whether I should ask my parents for help or use the money I’ve been saving.

I had carefully labeled my savings in my digital bank — each one meant for a different goal. None of them, at first glance, aligned with the idea of flying out of the country. But then I realized: maybe one of those dreams could be offered up for something even bigger. And so, I chose the one labeled camera — not because I don’t want it, but because I don’t need it yet.

What I do want, deeply, is the experience — to travel, to meet people beyond the screen, to learn something new in a place far from home. For the first time in my life, I burned a lot of money for something other than a physical object — I invested in experience.

I hope it’s worth it. I hope it’s one of those “crazy fun” memories that’ll live in my head forever. I’m excited. Nervous. Grateful. I can’t wait to finally meet my online friends in person and learn from them — even if it’s just for a short while.

Sometimes, dreams shift. But maybe that’s how we grow.