High school has been the epitome of an emotional roller coaster for many people, including me. I have gone from being the stereotypical “wallflower” who spent all of her hours on Tumblr and staying up in her room, to being someone who knows what they want. There are no more weekends spent completely at home, scrolling endlessly and suffering from eyes exhausted from a computer screen. There are no more nights spent crying because my mom would try to push me so hard to open up and make new friends, ones that would spend time with me. Senior year has led me to have a complete 180 in my personality, social life, and mentality. This can most closely be attributed to my friends who have made me realize what life in high school is supposed to be like.

After graduation, we will probably still hang out over summer break. An end-of-the-year road trip is already in the works. We'll still have the weekly Friday night movie nights at my house while everyone lays on my couch and cuddles Monty (my dog). We'll spend Tuesdays with our #winggang at Buffalo Wild Wings. It'll be like high school never ended (hopefully without all of the weekly drama and arguments), but the realization that this could all soon come to an end leaves me feeling helpless.

Most of you are still staying local and living at home during college. No promises can be made relating to seeing one another once college starts because I already know that we're each going to form our own lives. Lives with new friends from different cities that you come to meet at college. Lives spent at parties and formals and sorority houses. Routine nights at my house watching Netflix and playing Uno will turn into nights in the library studying at 3 A.M. until the bloodshot in our eyes makes it hard to blink. Our group chats will become barren at times and seem as if we've forgotten how to communicate.

The even bigger struggle will have to do with those who are leaving for college. It will become what seems like impossible to see each other in person and it will feel as if we've completely drifted apart. After months of minimal contact feelings of carelessness will start to set in, but I'll still think about you every day. I'll think about our daily rides to school and the nights spent singing to Mulan on my couch as we share a box of 40 wings. The times in junior high when we would laugh at dumb Youtube videos and draw silly pictures of our least favorite teacher on white boards. I'll remember how you always tell me how cute I am, even when you could tell I was having a rough day.

Although it will prove to be hard to keep in close touch with all of you, never forget that you're all still my best friends. You have all made my last year of high school one of the best years of my life so far. You have made me feel accepted and helped me realize who I truly am, and that I deserve people around me that care deeply. I have formed life-long bonds with some of the greatest people I have ever come to meet. We've been through hell and back, but we've all always stuck together. There is no possible way that I could thank you all in the amount that you deserve.