To my former classmates:

One year has passed since we all turned our tassels and closed the door on the high school chapter of our lives. At first, we all planned on keeping in contact and hanging out before we were all thrust into the next phase of living. However, life did a number on all of us. Some of us got jobs outside of the state. Some made a commitment to serve our country. Many of us were struggling to grapple with losing what we thought of as home. We were all out of our comfort zones and sometimes the best thing to ease an ache we all shared was to keep away from our previous lives. That included you all. Moving on was hard and I did it the only way I knew. Since we have graduated, I have talked to a handful of you in passing. My longest conversation with one of you was recently for about an hour at the end of my drive way. In that conversation alone, it struck me how much all of us had changed. Now, I am finishing up freshman year and I'm finally able to process what I needed to tell you but couldn't muster the correct words.

First off, I wanted to thank you for the friendships that we had. Because we were in a small school, our friendships really pushed the boundary between friend and family. We grew together, going from awkward middle school children bathing in neon and popped collars to semi-functioning young adults with jobs and the responsibility of leading an entire school. We all shared similar stresses; freshman year when we all moaned at the thought of being "trapped" in there for four long years, or so we thought. We were a class full of dreamers who saw the world around us as opportunities for change. Do you all remember watching the sports teams and longing for our senior year, our glory years? It's funny how reality set in on that. I will never forget the bus rides to away games, dancing in the back hallway our senior year because we had made it, and our family chats with each other. Some of those chats grew very heated and others ended in tears. But one thing we all forged in our time together was a bond, a strong friendship.

I want you all to know that I fervently wish you all your wildest dreams and ambitions. I can't help but to imagine the force of change our class could bring to the world. To the future teachers, I hope you find that one child who needs you in their life; his safe-haven from a chaotic home life. We had such strong examples of teachers who cared and helped us. I hope you take some notes from their playbook and really change lives for your students. To the future servicemen for our country, I wish you safety and soundness of your mind. To survive a tour physical unharmed is quite a feat, however I pray that your mind is protected and you are able to keep your own identity. That same identity you had when you lead the school will carry you far among the other servicemen. To those of you who still do not recognize what life has for you, I wish you clarity. I needed some of this during my first semester and still often question what I am doing with my life. However, life is about finding yourself and we all have our own journey.

I also want you to know that I think about you on a daily basis. Our parting is fresh in my mind so maybe this will fade as time goes on, but every day there is always at least one thing that reminds me of one of you. I see your posts on facebook and smile. I find myself telling stories to my new friends and getting lost in the nostalgia. I find myself aching for your presence every once in a while, just one more conversation. I know our paths will probably never cross again unless we have reunions, but part of me almost needs to know that you all will turn out okay.

In conclusion, I do miss all of you more than I like to admit. I am very happy where I am right now, but you hold a significant spot in my heart. I do feel like a few of us have unfinished business, yet I believe that business will be taken to our graves. Some things are better left unsaid. However, if any of you need a shoulder to rely on or a listening ear, my door is always open and my phone will always be on.