I hate change. Always have, always will. But the worst thing about change is you don't realize it's happened until you look back.

I'm laying on my bed and just finished scrolling through some of my Snapchat memories. I didn't start using it until about halfway through my senior year, but thank God I did.

Selfies from class, lunch dates with my closest friends, vacations, prom. Everything saved in the form of a photo, holding the memory forever. What's so strange to me is I look back at these photos and can remember everything about that moment: where I was, who I was with, and even how I was feeling.

Sometimes it's nice to reminisce on something and realize you don't even care about it anymore. That's the good kind of change. But then there's the change that creeps on you, slowly but surely, and you don't realize it until you're back home and nothing feels the same.

I love college. I love Temple, I love my friends, my city. Everything. But I also love my tiny hometown in New Jersey, and every person who has shaped me into the person I am today.

It's weird driving through my town and feeling no different even thought not a single thing is the same. While we're all out finding ourselves, expanding our knowledge, and learning how to adult, we almost forget about everything we've ever known.

Like I said, the worst change is the one you don't even realize is happening until it's too late. Like when you realize your mom keeps the garbage bags in the other drawer now, group chats have been silent for days, and your favorite diner got rid of those pancakes you loved (I cried).

They always warn you that things will change after high school, whether you like it or not. And honestly it wasn't until I came home for Spring break that I realized not a single thing is how it was.

Little things like being able to use my car and seeing my friends are now the biggest deal. I'd rather eat my mom's home-cooked meals than go out to eat everyday. It's the little things.

There are some people who count down the days of high school, dying to experience something new. Aside from the negatives change brings, there comes a point where it's almost necessary in our lives.

Without change, I'd never have met half the people I now call my best friends. I wouldn't have learned new things or experienced living on my own in a city.

As hard as it is to accept change, it's important. Living in the past will do nothing for you or your goals. It's important to keep the past in your mind, as it has shaped you into who you are today, but never dwell on it.