TO NEW BEGINNINGS
Staring at their little apartment, now them as the sole inhabitant, Topher wondered about what was next for them. Life had seemed interesting when they had first arrived in Astoria, young, adventurous, angry. Being homeless had grown stale, but more importantly dangerous. Life had offered them chances: a job, a home, money. And all of that seemed bland.
Bland while there was so much out there. Yes, Astoria meant understanding for them. They had changed into someone without meaning to, and that still haunted them. But it didn’t make life more exciting. Life was, in a sense, boring.
And Topher had no idea what their future would bring. Yet for the first time ever, they wanted to create a future for themselves. They wanted to be someone, do something.
But where and what?
Topher had always thought they had no family in Belgium to go back to. And that much was still true. Yet that didn’t frighten them at all. Despite not having spoken the language in years, they still knew Flemish. They didn’t have a high school diploma, but they knew how to get one.
They looked at the website on their phone.
This time of year, it had to be a split second decision. Second semester started in January, they could still enrol, take up less credits. They were a Belgian citizen, no parents, school wouldn’t cost them more than a hundred euro’s a year. Maybe they could contact some family, get a place to stay.
It was in a sense an adventure.
They had many options on what to study: veterinarian, mechanic, police officer, anything.
Things they liked doing. Futures.
“I’ll try something,” they said out loud, as they clicked on the application form for the University of Ghent. “I will make myself a future.”