To my high school friends,

At this time last year, everyone started telling us to cherish this time we had left together. We listened, but only halfheartedly. "We'd never take any of this for granted" we'd say. Although we thought we knew better, we didn't. Senior year has come and gone; our days together are numbered now in the single digits. We bonded together over our last football game, our last Homecoming Spirit Week, and buckling down to study for our last finals. We'd talk for hours about the endless possibilities college would bring. It seems like senior year started only yesterday, but now, in the blink of an eye, it's over. When did 'next year' become 'next week'?�

As the summer comes to a close, we're all getting ready to leave. Each and every one of us is going our separate ways and admittedly, that scares me a little. Don't get me wrong, I am more than excited for the new chapter I am starting in my life. Moving to a new place with all new people is equally exciting and terrifying. What happens if I don't make friends as great as you guys? Better yet, what if I don't make any friends at all? And what about all of you, my friends at home, what if you have trouble making new friends and are lonely and miserable? Or what if you all make great new friends and forget about me completely? My only wish is that you find �friends who are good enough. Friends deserving of your compassion, your hilarity, your uniqueness and the fun-loving personality you bring to every situation under the sun. I hope that I can do the same. But, I truly hope that no matter what we never forget each other.

It's going to be weird entering a world where everyone calls me by my actual name. It's hard to imagine that within the next few days, all of us will be living hundreds of miles away from each other, rather than a one-Taylor-Swift-song length car ride. We are all off in different directions, starting completely different lives that we will have little part in. Sure, we'll keep in touch seeing as we're only a text or a FaceTime call away, but it still won't be the same. We won't be as easily accessible to each other. Anytime we hang out will be much less on a 'lets-get-bagels' type whim because we just won't have the opportunity to be around each other as much. The thought of this upsets me a lot.

With each day that passes, the amount of time we have together shrinks and I wish I had listened to all those people. I wish I had actually taken it to heart and was more mindful of all the things we were doing for the last time. Although I am a stickler for my sleep routine, there are some nights I look back on that I wish I hadn't gone home so early. I wish I had been less stubborn about some things and remembered that the clock on our time left at home was ticking toward its end. I wish we all had more time together.

With that being said, here's to the time we did have. Here's to the inside jokes, the late night fries runs, and the endless movie nights. Here's to the times we stayed up way too late doing things we probably shouldn't have. Here's to the lazy weekends together we should've appreciated more. Here's to the many nights we spent playing Uno passed 2 am. Here's to the crazy groupchats and the� insane amount of pictures that I will cherish forever. Here's to us and the amazing memories we've made together, I only hope we can continue to do so in the future.

I know this isn't goodbye forever. We'll see each other again soon, but by then we will all have very different lives. Everyone won't be home at the same time again until November. In the grand scheme of things it's not that long from now, but at the moment, Thanksgiving feels like a lifetime away. So I just want to say one last time that I am thankful for each and every one of you. Thank you for constantly having my back and for tolerating my attitude when I was being irritating. Thank you for always letting me rant, no matter how crazy I'm sure I sounded. Thank you for making our boring hometown a little more tolerable. But most of all, thank you for being you. I am thankful for the friends who stuck by me through it all, for the friends who aren't really friends anymore, and for the friends who were never really more than good classmates. You all contributed to my high school experience in one way or another and for that, I am incredibly grateful.

Catch ya on the flipside,

MKPF