To my high school friends,

It’s almost Winter Break, and I wanted to tell you something.

As everyone is finishing off their semester or quarter and flailing through papers or finals or labs, I was thinking of the good times we’ve had during high school, looking through Facebook, and basically wondering about where our future paths are going to lie. I’ve heard of some people taking gap years and others finding well-established internships and having good times all around.

To which I say, I’ve been doing well too. I’ve taken some good classes, some for my major, some just to get requirements out of the way, and some which sincerely surprised me. This quarter, my Comparative Literature class focuses on Queer Studies, which is something I didn’t expect. Nevertheless, it’s enlightening to know, though I’m not sure what is fully “true” anymore. How about you? Have you guys decided your majors?

I’ve started tango last winter, and it was quite fun, if not difficult. I’ve had some good lessons, but at the same time, I’ve had some slip ups. I do not consider myself a good dancer yet, but I hope to get back again. Because I originally thought with lessons, I could become competent. However, according to somebody I had danced with, it’s not the case. And did I mention I’m not that great of a dancer…?

For things that remained the same, yes, I still fence. But it’s not the sport fencing I did in high school; instead, it’s Historical Fencing, which is the “art and science” of defense. Compared to earlier, it had more formalities to the salutes and actions. Not to mention, I focus on foil, rather than sabre. Then again, you wouldn’t recognize the difference. But considering the Olympics were on last summer, I hope you watched some.

Speaking of things that remained the same, how much do you think you’ve changed over college? What did you realize about yourselves?

Since high school, some things did retain in myself—I remained friendly and inquisitive, and checked out too many books at the library at one point. At the same time, I realized that I’m an adult under the law, but not in terms of having good spending skills, whether through money or time.

SEE ALSO: To My Best Friends From High School

We’re always recognizing about what we want, yet these ideas change constantly like the weather back here in Seattle. While I’ve heard that some of you chose majors that you were already planning since in high school, some went out and chose majors I didn’t expect when I first met you. Some of us stayed with the activities which we were known for in high school, others abandoned them to seek out new career paths or hobbies.

If I ever see you again, I may be surprised on how much we now hardly recognize each other. Not in looks, but rather in how we view the world and how we relate to each other. I’d like to imagine us just meeting up at New Year’s Eve, at a party somewhere in Seattle, and happily reflecting on the year like when we were struggling to get into the college of our dreams. However, I recognize that some changes are of a larger magnitude; some of us don’t identify with high school anymore, or we don’t connect on the same wavelength. Therefore, we grow apart.

Regardless, I wish you happy holidays, wherever you are. You all have a special place in my heart.

Sincerely,

One of you.