To My Dearest Friends (you know who you are):

It's funny isn't it, just how true some cliches are? I mean, I guess that's why they stay around for so long, but they seem so cheesy until you come in contact with one of them. So I guess time really does fly. Now it doesn't seem that way when you are in the midst of finals Sophomore year, or sitting in the ACT testing room during junior year; at that point all you can think about is the weekend or the next summer. But, as the end of half of our senior year is rapidly approaching I can't help to think about how fast the time came and went.

It felt like just yesterday all of us were dressing up to match our senior theme, exploring the privileges that came with being a senior, and just soaking up the last first day of our public education. However the thought remained in the back of our minds, the people we had grown to be so close too would no longer be a constant in our lives. At the beginning of the semester we were all worried about our new teachers, finding out which friends were in which classes, and how to balance our lives. But now, we are worried about what major to choose, financial packages from colleges, and picking the perfect campus to spend the next four years in.

It's a bittersweet time. As much as I am so excited to start the next chapter of my life and to explore the perks of being independent and on my own, it's sad to think about what is in store for myself and all of us in just a few short months. We are excited with each acceptance that comes in the mail, each scholarship we are given, and each opportunity that is created. However, in the back of our minds we know that with each acceptance there is more and more distance in-between each of us. The schools keep getting farther and our image of the future gets more hazy, because how can you promise to keep in contact with everyone if we don't even know where we'll be living?

The prospective future is scary, not necessarily because of the change but simply the fear of the unknown. We don't know who we will be living with, which friends we will stay in contact with, and how we will make it on our own. So my promise to all of you, my closest friends, is that I will stay in contact, I will make every effort to protect the bonds we have, because no matter where we are, nothing will change the fact that we grew up together, we made mistakes together, and we discovered and challenged life's seemingly never-ending problems, together. Distance will never be able to change the memories and insane adventures we have had. Nor will I let it.

So, as we enter our second semester let's focus on the present. Let's enjoy the seemingly annoying and mundane tasks that high school has to offer. Let's take joy in the small things that we all know we are going to miss, yet would never actually admit them. As stressful as it is let's embrace the time we have left in high school, because we have one hell of a ride ahead of us.