It Happened.

 It's hard to believe, but it really did. Every time that I woke up last night it hit me all over again: I am finally a high school graduate. All of my hard work has finally paid off: studying for AP exams, late night typing to put the finishing touches on research papers and projects, countless hours spent in the school library working on homework, and all this while waking up at 6:30 every morning. I almost can't believe that all of that is truly over for me.
I remember back in Kindergarten, or maybe first grade, in the year 2001(!), the teacher always reminded the class, "In the year 2012, you will be graduating from high school." Back then, it seemed infinities away. Like maybe it wouldn't ever happen, and I'd just be going to school forever. Still, here I am. A high school graduate soon to be college freshman.
I am so ready to move on to the next chapter of my life, because this one really was getting old. Towards the end, I had a pretty serious case of Senioritis and every day was a struggle to drag myself out of bed and force myself to do the same-old schoolday tasks. Now I'm glad I stuck it out to the end and despite my own reluctance, pushed myself to keep doing my best.
There may be some things that I will miss about high school, but I am more than ready to be moving on. I'll miss some of my teachers, two in particular that really encouraged me and gave me such good advice about college and more, but I will be able to go back and visit them in the coming years, and I plan to. I only made a few really good friends and though I will miss them, I believe we will always make time for each other in the future. As for the rest of high school, I am only too glad that now it will be nothing more than a memory. As C.S. Lewis said, I believe that "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."

And, because I do not like to do posts without at least one picture, and because I would like to spare you any pictures of myself in that large, unbecoming gown, here's a picture of my tassle and corsage: