The Greatest Lie I Ever Told: Part 1

The year was 2006, and I found myself grappling with self-doubt in a hotel room in Beijing. I remember looking around the room, admiring the art pieces adorning the walls – depictions of the Temple of Heaven and stunning paintings of mythical jade creatures. It was mid-April, and I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was supposed to be with my friends at the American School of Doha in Qatar, where I had been a student. However, the school had decided to part ways with me due to my failure to uphold my academic commitments. I was, as they say, a rough diamond.

 

My father had taken me on a work trip with him while trying to figure out what to do with me. I spent many days wandering the hotel, contemplating how I had gotten into this mess. I felt guilty – truly – but I also thought there was something inherently wrong with me, as though school simply wasn’t meant for me. My father began looking into boarding schools on Vancouver Island, where our family home was, since uprooting the entire family from Doha wasn’t an option. He told me about a school called Shawnigan Lake School, tucked away in the woods by Shawnigan Lake. He had chosen it, he said, because he once saw Shawnigan students getting off a bus, and they were all smiling. Funny.

 

The next thing I knew, I was having a Skype interview with Mrs. Samuel, the Director of Admissions at Shawnigan. It was late at night because of the time difference, and my father sat just out of view, silently observing the meeting and praying I wouldn’t blow it. I don’t remember much about our conversation, but there’s one question I’ll never forget: “Do you want to attend Shawnigan Lake School?”

 

In my mind, I screamed no! How could I leave my friends, be alone halfway across the world without family, and live with strangers? I glanced at my father for reassurance, and he was nodding emphatically, urging me to say yes. I looked back at Mrs. Samuel and said, “Yes.” I lied. I didn’t want to go.

 

Within months, I was back on Vancouver Island. From the moment I started school, I was thrust into a regimented routine – being told when to eat, sleep, study, and go to sports. Surprisingly, this was exactly what I needed: a system that provided structure and discipline as I navigated this new chapter of my life. I ended up having a successful high school career, where I was involved in boarding leadership, maintained decent grades, and participated in sports at a high level. I built a solid foundation of friends and mentors who guided me, ultimately helping me gain acceptance into a university. I was floored. All I had been missing in my life was the structure and routine that my old way of life couldn’t provide. It turns out that saying I didn’t want to go to Shawnigan Lake School was the greatest lie I ever told.