Start of the Beginning 

End of school, summer, senior year. Senior year is the best year to come. representing my last chance to embrace everything I've longed for throughout my high school journey. My last year to fit everything I have wanted to experience–everything I have wanted to accomplish in my high school career. New people, different experiences, and an entirely transformed life can either be a blessing in disguise or an emotional torment. Time is slipping away and I feel like everything is changing so fast, a moving treadmill that doesn’t get tired. Some of these days I wish I could just pause time and soak in the moments I have left and be glad to be where I am today. I want to cherish the moments I have left with my family, friends, peers, and all my extracurricular activities before I have to begin a totally new and fresh four years, starting all over, and losing everything I’ve had. new people, different experiences, and an entirely transformed life can either be a blessing in disguise or an emotional torment. Frankly, I'm not ready to move on.

High school hasn't been a walk in the park, but I wouldn't alter my experiences. While I admit I would change how I reacted and interacted with certain moments and people, I've come to accept that the past is unchangeable. My focus now lies in shaping a positive future. However, the future is daunting, and I struggle to cope with the overwhelming pace at which everything unfolds—everything happening so fast, like I’m being submerged underwater hoping to come back up for a breath of air. I feel lost in the waves, caught in a riptide.

Yet, I eagerly anticipate summer. A shadow of my past selves reminds me of lonely summers spent confined to my room, wishing for friends and burying my head in a tear-soaked pillow, only reemerging with social interactions when school resumes. However, I believe this summer won't mirror those experiences, it hasn’t last year and it won't this year. I hope that during my senior summer, I'll feel joy and bask in the love of my family and friends. I'm determined to make plans, be included, and continue being social, realizing that this is my last chance before I pack up my room and move into a shared dormitory with communal showers.

My senior year—my final year. The thought alone churns my stomach. My mind races down countless paths, and I've never experienced such a blend of excitement and fear for a year in high school. Finally, I've found true friends. I want to live and relish every moment of my senior year. I aspire to make friends in all my classes and reach out to others whom I haven't connected with in previous years. When I cross that stage, I want to feel a profound sense of accomplishment for my successes and the multitude of experiences I've embraced. Whether it's through socializing or participating in clubs like Broadway and DECA, I aim to nurture my leadership skills, enhance my social aptitude, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Reflecting on the past, I find myself looking forward to the future more than dreading it. I understand that time doesn't stand still, so I must keep moving and seize each moment to the fullest. Preparing for college may seem intimidating and one of my greatest challenges, but I'm ready to confront that battle head-on. The experiences I have this summer and during my senior year will hopefully ease the transition into college, making it feel less daunting.