School is starting next week and as parents are washing uniforms and buying school supplies I can’t help but think back to my own 18 first days of school.

From preschool to middle school and all the way through college I always loved the first day of school.

The night before was always sleepless. Whether I was starting a new school or returning to familiar halls, I would get some serious butterflies.

A new year meant new opportunities, new books, new teachers and exciting new subjects to learn.

I have always been an avid reader, often finding myself being one of the few to actually read the assigned material, and often without complaint.

My own school experiences seem vastly different to my parents’ and grandparents’, not to mention the new generation who is blessed with technology in the classroom.

I was still a part of that in-between group that learned cursive and typing skills, how to use a computer and write essays on lined paper and I watched teachers write on smart boards and chalkboards.

I wasn’t allowed to have a cellphone in school, let alone a laptop or a tablet that many schools are now using to enhance their institution.

Going to college was a whole other adventure filled with a new batch of interesting subjects and new people to meet.

For the first time I’m finding myself watching from a safe distance as kids weighed down with heavy backpacks line up for bright yellow school busses and head off to class.

I’ve often been asked whether I would accept an opportunity to go back and go through school all over again; as of now, I think I’ll stick with the lessons I’ve already learned.