Through my four years of high school, I have both made and lost friends, but I can honestly say I am happy with the people I ended up with. Senior year was the time in my life where I really started to stop caring about drama and what people thought of me, and that is what lead me to the close group of friends I have now. I have found that having a few close friends is the best way to get through high school. I'm not one for hanging out with big groups of people, so my close friends are what got me through high school.

I have made friends that will last me a lifetime. They have influenced me in ways I cannot even begin to describe, and have helped me to grow as a person, never judging me along the way. We saw each other through the best and worst times, but were always there no matter what. I think that is the best trait to have in a friend, to help you grow without judging, because that is what being a kid is all about, trying to find yourself, and having those friends makes it that much more fun.

Looking back on high school, I don't remember the drama or my freshman gym class, I remember the bonds I made with people. I remember the teachers I became close with, being able to talk to them if something went wrong, or if I was just having a bad day. I remember the hour long bus rides home from a game with my softball team, taking pictures of each other and laughing like idiots. I remember the sleepovers I had with my best friends, driving around at night and getting ice cream.

They have taught me lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I have learned, that the quote is true, “A day without laughter is a day wasted”. I have found the people who have made me laugh until I cried and made me forget about all the drama going on around me, or the fact that I was having a bad day.

Looking back on high school, there are some things I wished I could change. I put up with too much drama, cared too much what people thought about me, but all of that is irrelevant now. Being out of high school, I now realize that the people that are really important to you are the ones that you will go out of your way to make plans with, and still keep in touch with throughout college.

If I had one piece of advice for kids going through high school, it would be to make the best of it. Don't spend the entire four years wanting to be in college and not enjoying everything that is going on around you. College will come fast enough, trust me. I spent most of my senior year wanting to be done with high school, but now that it is time to go to college, part of me wishes I could go back to high school. High school is comfortable, you are with all of your friends you have known for years, you get to see your pets and family everyday, everything is a routine. All of that changes sooner than you think, so just enjoy it and live in the moment.