I know that this is a topic well written on. I will not be the first, or the last, to recount the four years of school that flew by in a flash. Yet, I still hope that I can offer a helping hand to anyone who might glance at this piece searching for some motivation to drive them through the next few months.
It has been nearly a year since I crossed the stage at my high school graduation. To this day, I'm not sure if I was more nervous or excited. It was a symbolic start to a very real, and very adult, future that I could hardly wait for.
Do not take this leap without realizing what you might be leaving behind.
When I first went back to visit my alma mater, Judge Memorial Catholic High School, I immediately dashed for the music room. It had been my home away from home during my time spent there, and I missed the comfort such a cluttered room can bring. I used to walk around, shoeless, sending sassy remarks my teacher's way. She always managed to send a harsher one back. We had "class parties" that consisted of making bacon on a panini press and watching "Hot Rod" on the ceiling.
I walked down to my old locker in senior hall where I used to greet my boyfriend in the mornings. I relished our once very simple identities; back when he was just "the football guy" and I was still the "pep band nerd." I could smell the cafeteria and immediately picked out the scent of my microwave quesadilla recipe, which became famous just a couple months before graduation.
I said "hi" to all my favorite teachers. They were the ones who let me unleash the high school drama updates on them, but also the people who helped me write my college essay and made sure I started my future off on the right foot. There was something relaxing about knowing every teacher in my high school. Back then there was always a smiling face around every corner.
I made sure to eat at my favorite shady downtown restaurant. So many of my nights were spent at their ancient tables, sipping coffee and divulging my innermost thoughts. This was a carefree time where my only responsibility was to be home by curfew.
I drove to my favorite lookout and took in the light from the city. I can still pick out every road, building and landmark on our infamous grid.
When you go to college, these kinds of things won't end, but they will change. You won't be with your loyal band nerds any more, or your rowdy team, or your favorite club. Your schedule will fill up so fast that talking the night away might mean forgetting to attend a meeting or failing to finish your laundry. Going to college might mean getting to know a new city. This opens a whole world of exploration, but you will also be a fresh face. College will strip away some of your most comfortable layers.
To all the high school kids preparing to stretch their wings:
Take a moment to appreciate where you are right now. High school flies by, but a lot happens during the journey too. Enjoy the friends you've become so close with, and make friends with the people who you barely know. Explore those few unknown areas in your hometown, and consume the local food as much as you can. Watch the sunset with those most important to you. Don't let the very end slip by.
College is an amazing experience, and it is bound to be full of new memories. For the moment, enjoy those last few months of high school before everyone runs full speed into the future.
Dedicated to Zoe and Caroline. Do all you can before the future catches up with you.