I woke up on Tuesday dreading the fact that I had to actually get up and go to school. But, it was my last first day of school. Waking up that morning felt the same as if it was just a normal day of junior year. I never thought the time would come for me to be a senior, and now that it is, I wish I was still in kindergarten. I know I am only seventeen, but my life has gone by so fast. Life moves at a quick pace and our last year of being carefree is about to end and the real world is about to hit us all in the face, and I openly admit that I am not ready for it.

Summer came and went like a breeze, one second you're caught up in it, and then the next it is over. This summer was the fastest and most intense one I have ever experienced. Looking back on the last day of school in June to the first day here September, my life has done a 360. I've lost important people in my life and I've grown as a person. This summer taught me that the people you want to stay constant are the ones that usually drift in and out. It showed me what it means to be fun and let loose. I'm thankful for this summer, and as much as I truly cherished every starry summer night, I'm ready for the coveted senior year experiences. The first football game of the season, senior night, prom, and most importantly, graduation.

The moment I walked into that building that I have come to know so well, I felt a whole mixture of anxiousness, excitement, and nervousness. Why would I be nervous? It’s my senior year! As the end of the day was approaching, I was getting my first academically-caused headache. Time to restock my book bag with ibuprofen!

Now that I can officially say that I am a senior, I am looking forward to everything that this year brings to me. While I know it will be stressful at times, I also know that I have the most amazing friends to help me through it. Many of us will know where we will be going to college in just a few short months, and I can't believe that time has gone by that fast. Graduation day will be here before any of us realize it, so let us enjoy every day that this year brings us. Here's to the SENIOR class of 2018!