I will never apologize for working on my personal growth before the needs of others.

Over the past four years of high school, it has been pretty easy for me to stay relatively grounded in terms of who I am and where I'm going.

No, I'm not the same person I was when I walked through those glass doors in the lobby at the beginning of my freshman year. However, it was easier for me to stay in contact when I had the stability of seeing the same people every day and staying in the same routine for 180 school days at a time.

Now that I'm growing up and moving out, my priorities have changed.

I'm less worried about maintaining my relationships with everyone and keeping everyone happy all the time, and I'm more worried about making sure I'm improving—making sure my lifestyle stays healthy and I'm growing as a person.

At this crossroads, I know that I'm going to leave some people behind. And others are going to leave me behind. There are no hard feelings, but I'm not the same person as I was a year, a month or even a week ago.

I love improving myself and my life, so of course I want to surround myself with people who will support me, people who will create the environment that's best for me right now.

It's not that I'm not happy right now, and it's not that I never was happy. It's just that I know I could be happier, and I'm on a perpetual quest to find what and who make me the happiest in the long term.

What I've found is that my happiness comes in waves, just like my mental health. There are good times and bad times. The things and people that made me happy last month may not make me feel the best this month, and that's OK.

I won't apologize for putting myself first, and if you want to come along for the ride, be my guest. We can cheer each other on and help each other find our way if we ever get lost.

If your intentions for me include nothing but boxing me in, and expecting me to stay the same to benefit you and you alone, I have no interest in keeping you around. Relationships with other people require a ridiculous amount of compromise and dialogue in order to keep things healthy.

Personally, I love my life right now. I'm excited for where I'm headed and I'm so grateful for the people that are coming along with me. And for those of you I'm meeting along the way, I can't wait to get to know you.