My first day of high school I remember how nervous and anxious I was to get off of the bus. I walked right into a place that felt so foreign and new and I didn't think I would be able to handle it. I convinced myself that I would absolutely hate high school.... and boy was I wrong.

I recall walking around and asking for help on several occasions because I had absolutely no idea where I was going. I remember not knowing where to sit for lunch with my friends. I remember being terrified of the seniors who looked so much older and cooler.

With the blink of an eye it was my turn to be a senior, and I would be graduating in June. I came to the conclusion that being a senior did not make you "cooler," but that being a senior was simply awesome. I felt like I was on top of the world, and that this was my reward for continuously working so hard in the previous years.

And just like that graduation was upon me, but it was not the hardest goodbye.

It would be the following weeks that would be the toughest.

Throughout July and August, friend after friend left for a place that I had no part in, and I had to accept that and focus on myself and my new chapter or else the pain would consume me.

With my friends and I moving into college I really thought about what this change would mean... No more lunches together. No more driving my brother to school. No more diner breakfasts on delayed openings. No more proms. No more pep rallies. No more standing in the student section at various sporting events. No more exchanging smiles in the hallways. No more seeing each other everyday.

How could I not be sad?

But then I also thought about the wonderful times I shared with everyone.... like getting breakfast bagel sandwiches and going to half apps every other week, or Friday Night Football Games, or getting ready for the upcoming Drama Production, or getting my license, or helping to compose the school newspaper and yearbook, or decorating graduation caps in my basement with my besties.

I had so many great times and laughs in class, and I got so close with so many different people my senior year. My one regret is not getting closer with certain people earlier, but I am truly glad I was given the opportunity to this year even if it made it harder to leave.

And as I sat in the car on the way to my new school, I realized that the hardest part about these last four years wasn't high school. The hardest part was saying farewell to it, because it gave me the most unforgettable experiences, friendships, and memories.