I know a lot of people say this, but high school was tough me — emotionally more so than academically. When I look back, I cringe at the mistakes I made, and I'm happy that I'm a better person because of those mistakes, but honestly, I think the only reason I got through high school in one piece, especially 10th grade was because of a certain playlist. Everyday I would come home from school and listen to this playlist, and every night I would lay in bed listening to it in the dark just staring at the ceiling thinking about my life or possibly not even thinking at all. It's one of the most beautiful playlists I've ever made for myself because I let it develop over time. There were a few songs that were added and then removed, but there are the staple tracks that will always stay. And because I'm so indecisive, the title of the playlist would always change, but the essence of the playlist always stayed the same.

Here is the original track list:

1) "The Ride" by Drake ft. The Weeknd

2) "One in a Million" by Aaliyah

3) "Poetic Justice" by Kendrick Lamar ft. Drake

4) "Cameras/Good Ones Go" by Drake

5) "Practice" by Drake

6) "Marvin's Room" by Drake

7) "Coming Down" by The Weeknd

8) "What You Need" by The Weeknd

9) "Rehab" by Rihanna

10) "Sure Thing" by Miguel

11) "IceBox" by Omarion

12) "Swimming Pools" by Kendrick Lamar

These were the original songs but the only songs that still exist on the list is the first four tracks are the two songs by The Weeknd. Everything else, it totally depends on how I feel. Sometimes I bring them back, but the staple tracks will always stay. For most of the songs, I found them from either stumbling upon different Tumblrs that had the song on their blog, I listened to a full album and heard it, or I heard a person talking about it or heard it on the radio. But the way that I found the songs are not important, what's important is the way the songs made/make me feel.

The main ones that I'll talk about are the ones that I still listen to. And as you can see, The Weeknd and Drake were basically my best friends in high school. It was a combination of the beat of the music and the melodic sounds of both artists along with of course the lyrics of their music; it just spoke to me. Have you ever listened to a song that just made you feel some type of way and you just couldn't put words to it? You almost felt euphoric without having to take drugs. You felt like you were sinking but being lifted at the same time.

It was a similar feeling whenever I would listen to Aaliyah's song "One in a Million," I felt like I was floating on an ocean made of my emotions and had no choice but to sway which ever way her voice took me. Her voice is pure silk and love in my ears.

I made this playlist during the 10th grade and around this time, I was just figuring out who Kendrick was, so that's why there's a splash of him in the mix. I was appreciating his lyrics and what they did to me. Kendrick's flow was soothing and amazing and it just had to make the list because his songs made me feel better.

The songs that I don't listen to anymore served their purpose. Sometimes I go back to them, but they don't have the same effect on me that they once had, and that's OK. But all of these songs were my closest friends. They were there for me, they spoke to me, they made me feel better and we somehow found our way to each other. Just like with real friends, some of those songs were seasonal while a few others I know for a fact I'll always listen to.

So I'm thankful for the songs on this list. They still help me out to this day. I usually listen to the playlist late at night, whenever I write, or I listen just to be taken to a different place.