You know what made me realize I didn't fit in either party? Going to two very different schools. I went to a public school for my first two years in high school. It was definitely a very progressive (a select few may say "woke") school. I did not feel entirely comfortable in this school, as there were many things I did not agree with, but also many things I did. (This may have also been because I was still figuring out my beliefs at this point, but there are certain things I haven't changed my opinion on.) However, for the last two years of high school, I went to a much more conservative christian private school. And I did not feel very comfortable here either. I definitely felt more comfortable than in public, but that was for other reasons completely unrelated to political beliefs. Whenever a political topic came up in either of these schools, unless I was with very specific friends (if you're reading this, you know who you are:), I felt I had to either cloak or outright withhold certain opinions. Do I regret going to these schools? No. They helped me figure out who I am as a person and I feel like the experiences I got from both schools (although I do favor one over the other) will be valuable in my life. Would I do it again? 100% not.
