In the year 2012, you walked through your high school's doors for the first time ever, you felt lost, scared, nervous, and more than just that. You've seen movies and television shows that influenced you into thinking high school is full of people who will make fun of you and make you feel less than what you actually are. While most of that is inevitably true, it is also full of people who you have never met before who will become your best friends; it is full of memories that'll be made and never forgotten, but you aren't aware of this yet because you're just a freshman.
In the year 2013, you walked through your high school's doors for your second year. Your thoughts were a little less negative and your outlook changed. You saw your "friends" for the first time in three months because you hadn't talked to them over the summer. You started to find yourself and find the people you belonged with, but even then, you still felt out of place. You were getting a little more excited that you only had three more years left, and thought that you had most if not all things worked out and you didn't, but you weren't aware of this yet because you were just a sophomore.
In the year 2014, you walked through you high school's doors for your third year now. You were an upper-classman and all you thought about was getting out of this place that you referred to as hell. You made some great friends but lost just as many. You changed and so did everyone else. The girl you sat next to in eighth-grade science was no longer the sweetheart everyone knew her as and the boy in your seventh-grade art class was no longer your best friend because you hadn't talked to him in three years. The people you thought would be there forever, weren't. Meanwhile, the people you never knew you'd tell your deepest secrets to or confide in because your boyfriend broke up with you are still with you along this journey every step of the way. They are the people you will be most grateful for and the people you will miss the most, but you weren't aware of that yet because you were just a junior.
That's the thing with high school--people change and things change as the years go on. You go through these years thinking that your best friends will always be your best friends, but they won’t be. You think that life will be a breeze and you'll be ready by the end of 2016, but you won’t be. You have been taking advantage of these past three years and you haven't even realized it. You have a totally different view on life and all things in it. Within these very short years, you see things and hear things that teach you important life lessons. You start out blind to all possibilities, but soon you are sure that nothing is impossible.
In the year 2015 you walked through your high school's doors for the last time. You knew all the teachers and most of the people. You were then a senior, no longer the freshman who was once scared, nervous, and lost. You felt invisible. From the first day of the year, you couldn't wait to get out of there. You couldn't wait to no longer have to see the people you'd grown to hate, or deal with any of the drama or rumors that haunted you for the last 4 years. You were so eager to start the rest of your life. But you will soon realize that you aren't ready. You will realize that the people you've grown a hate and love have been practically your family. You've watched those people grow. You will soon realize that you don't know everything, and you aren't too sure what you're going to do with your life from this point on, but you aren't aware of this yet because you are just a senior.
In the year 2016, you will walk out of you high school's doors knowing you won't be coming back. You will say goodbye to the people you have watched grow. You will say goodbye to your dearest friends because they're going off to a different college than you. At this point on, all things are changing. While some kids, if not most, are thrilled they're finally getting out, they do not realize what they are leaving behind. You will wish that you could go back in time and change many things. You will wish that you talked to different people or actually studied for that biology test. You will wish that you had the control over when you started living in the real world. You will feel lost, scared, and nervous again. You have seen television shows and movies that make look life so easy and like a walk in the park--you are now realizing it is not.
Take advantage of every second you have. Do not rush to grow up; do not regret the choices you have made because they have made you. You will thank everyone for being with you along this journey, for teaching you many things you could never have learned on your own. You have reached the biggest milestone in your life; as surreal as it seems, the moment is finally here. To the girl in eighth-grade science, I wish you the best of luck in life. To the boy in seventh-grade art class, I thank you for teaching me many things without even knowing that you were. To the teachers who have watched me grow, I thank you for the retakes on the tests that I did horribly on. I thank you for putting up with my immature freshman self. I thank you for teaching me what respect meant. To the class of 2016, congratulations. Life is starting even though you're not ready, and you are aware of this now because you have no choice.
