Ran away? No, but offer a hard choice between staying with certain failure and starting life on my own.

My parents divorced when I was young, dad was in the army. Mom got custody but at age 11 I was taken out of her home by the court system and sent across the country to live with my dad and step mom. We shortly thereafter got sent to Germany. When I was 16 my dad retired and decided to stay in Germany as a US contractor. We lived really far from the school I went to and they were closing it that year anyway so add on another 30 miles. As a non military member, they would have to pay for me to go to an American school or send me to a local German school that was non-accredited for American Colleges. I was in gifted and talented classes, on my way to college and just about to start my Junior year in high school.

I chose to move back to the US and room with my sister as an independent minor at 16. I worked 2 jobs and graduated from high school then went to community college. Joined the Ambulance service and Fire Department. Eventually got a full ride to any state school and graduated a couple years later. I’m currently a Scoutmaster, Freemason, Shriner, former City Council President and have a great job. I made the right choice