It is no secret that life is a journey. We all go through good times and bad, shaping us into the people we are today. The people we meet change us and help us discover who we are, in one way or another. In just a few short days, I will be leaving everything I have ever known to take on a brand new journey at college. I will be leaving the same town I have lived in my entire life, my family, my friends, everything that has helped me find who I really am. The only way, for me, to say farewell to all of these people, is to write a few bittersweet goodbye letters.
To my family:
Thank you all for supporting me in all of my decisions. Yes, not all of them were the right ones, but you have all helped me see that these decisions only help me learn and create memories. I will miss the family dinners, inevitable yelling during sporting events, random Saturday yard sales, and fights over which restaurant to go to. I know I am not the easiest person to handle or understand, but you all have dealt with my crazy boy band obsessions, picky eating, and wild mood swings for almost eighteen years now and I cannot thank each and every one of you enough for the constant love and support. I know this is not a permanent goodbye, but a see you soon.
To my friends:
Some of you have been around since kindergarten, and others I met just this year, but you have all given me memories that I will never forget. From the slumber parties in elementary school, trying to stay up as late as possible, to the endless snow days in high school, spending the night at each other’s houses, trying to get as much sleep as possible. Thank you all for encouraging me to chase my dreams and helping me along the way. We are all going our separate ways now as we head off into the real world, but just know that I will never forget the endless laughing until we are crying, the late night Taco Bell runs, and most of all, the memories we have all made together that will last a lifetime.
To my teachers:
I bet some of you never would have thought that I would be thanking you today, or that I would even be going off to college and doing something with my life. But in reality, all those projects I complained about and all those essays I wrote at the last minute truly helped me get to where I am today. I can remember complaining for almost a whole class period about an argumentative paper we had to write for English in 11th grade. Little did I know that those papers would help me become a better writer and would help me not only prepare for the next grade, but for college as well. Although I did not get along with all of you, I know that each and every one of you were just trying to help me be successful in the future, and in my opinion, you have all succeeded, so thank you again for everything you taught me.
To my teammates:
Each and every one of you know how sarcastic, moody, and angry I can get on and off the field. We have all had our ups and downs throughout all four years playing lacrosse. Some of you only knew me for one season, while others knew me for four seasons. But one thing will never change, I do not like running and I will forever complain about it during practices. All jokes aside, thank you to each and every one of you for motivating me during games and practices. I know that all of you had my back during the days when I almost quit and during the days where all I wanted to do was score. I cannot believe my lacrosse career is over, but I wish you all good luck in the seasons to come. But never forget, no matter what the other teams say, our plaid skirts were totally the cutest uniforms in all of Northern Virginia.
To anyone else who has had an impact on my life:
Thank you for coming into my life, whether you made a negative impact or a positive one, I would not be who I am today without you. After all this time, I have come to accept the events in my life and I will move forward, in a positive direction. I am very lucky that I get to follow my dreams and do what I love, so I thank you for helping me gain the motivation to do so.
To anybody reading this:
I promise each and every one of you that I will not let anybody down, and I will continue to chase my dreams and I encourage all of you to do the same. Again, thank you to everyone who shaped me into the person I am today.
