As high school graduation grew closer I knew I would be experiencing a lot of changes in my life, but what I didn't realize was just how much I would learn in only one year of being out of school. The things I have learned in this past year have greatly improved my outlook on life and it makes me look forward to all I will learn in the future.

1. Friendships will fade.

All throughout high school I had heard my family members tell me that my friendships most likely wouldn't last. I denied that truth for as long as I could but during my senior year I began to realize that we were going to go our separate ways. It was pretty upsetting at first but now, a year later, I have new friends and I'm experiencing new and exciting things in my life - we all are, and that's the beauty of it. We've all got these exciting new adventures in our lives and sometimes it's nice to reflect on the fun times you had in high school but in reality it feels good to have moved on. You may still hang out with old friends or you may not but no matter what, those old friendships aren't a loss because you still have all those great memories.

2. Life is only just beginning.

Sometimes it felt like graduating high school was the end of everything, which it is in a sense. It's the end of a long chapter in your life, but if anything it's really only the beginning. I often found myself wondering, "now what" because I had no solid plan and no idea what I was going to do with my life. I learned that there are so many possibilities; you decide what you do with your life, and there is always time to find something new! Find a path that you want to take, follow in someone's footsteps, or create your own path. There are so many possibilities and opportunities that you can take advantage of throughout your life.

3. I wasn't the person I thought I was in high school.

I've changed a lot within this past year and if I'm being honest, I think I'm a lot better for it. I look back on some of the things I did and said in high school; the forced friendships, the insane peer pressure to do what everyone else was doing, trying to fit into a group... none of it really suited me but I tried so hard to be what I thought I was supposed to be that I never really took the time to get to know myself. Being out of that environment has taught me to find out who I am as a person and what really makes me who I am. I don't feel pressured to like what everyone else likes or do what everyone else does anymore. I don't determine my value based on how others perceive me, and I'm growing every day.

4. Change is good.

Fear of change was a major downfall of mine for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I'm still wary of big life changes and decisions but ultimately I have realized that change is good and completely necessary. Without change people wouldn't progress, learn, change, or develop. We would stay in the same places we're at in our lives and that's not how I want to live my life. Although change may be scary at times, I have accepted that it is necessary in order to move forward and I am grateful for change and progression.

5. Some people never change.

Along with learning that change is good, I have also learned that not everyone accepts change into their life and in some cases may not realize that they need to make a change. I have encountered numerous people who, no matter how much they should make changes in their life, never do. I used to try and convince these people that it would be good to try something new or approach life differently, but after a long while of not being able to help anyone help themselves, I gave up. You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped or who doesn't realize that the choices they're making are having a negative impact on their life or their health. I used to feel absolutely terrible for giving up on people, so this is one of the most important things I feel that I have learned because it also taught me that it's okay to walk away. Some people will never change and there is no use stressing yourself out over people in your life who won't accept change.

6. No one is going to live your life for you.

This one's important. Nobody can take hold of your life the way that you can. Want to hike a mountain? Go hike one! Want to score your dream job? You better work your butt off to get there! There is nothing in your life that requires you to sit around and wait and although we may think "Oh, I can just do this tomorrow," we may never see that tomorrow. No matter what you do with your life make sure it's what you want to do and if you really want something, go after it! Nobody tells stories about how they sat on the couch all day and watched life fly by outside their window. You have to get up and do things with your life because there might not be someone there to encourage you to do that, and tomorrow isn't always promised.

7. It pays to be responsible... literally.

I've generally been a pretty responsible person throughout my meager 19 years of life but once I got out of high school I realized that not everyone has that value instilled within them. I've encountered so many people who don't strive for anything, don't take responsibility for their actions, and think they can just slide through life doing the bare minimum. Working my first real part time job has made me appreciate my dedication as well as question why it's so difficult for others to be as responsible and dedicated. You may have been able to slide by in high school by copying off of your classmates or doing your homework last minute but in the real world--when you actually have to get a job and make a living--you have to pull your own weight and if you can't handle that you'll have quite a hard time finding future employment opportunities or getting a paycheck in general.

I know I've got a lot of life left and that this doesn't even brush the surface of how much I will learn throughout it and to be honest, that makes me really excited. Life is a journey and I look forward to every adventure and opportunity I'm given to experience or learn something new--you never know where life will take you but no matter where you end up or how you get there, never stop learning.