I’ve been thinking about what to write in my senior goodbye on and off since the second I joined TRL freshman year. A lot has happened since then causing my decision to change and then change again. Now, in my final month of high school, I believe I’ve made the right decision.
I’ve kept myself busy throughout high school. I’ve taken plenty of AP classes, played varsity basketball and of course, written for TRL. While these things can be hard to balance once the school year gets into the swing of things, these past two years have helped me figure out how to keep myself going. Weekends never seem to be long enough. One day is filled with plans, and the next is used to study and prepare for the upcoming week. So the only solution is to have fun on weekdays. While this was partially inspired by Jenna Palek’s podcast, it mainly came from my amazing friends. Each week, I have loved finding something relaxing, fun or new to look forward to. At first, it started with group study sessions that ended with us knowing very little APUSH and a whole lot of celebrity drama. As we became more comfortable with finding balance, it turned into Bachelor Finale parties and late-night sweet treat runs.
The memories I have of nights like these would not be possible without my friends. They are a light in my day and as graduation gets closer and closer I could not imagine what my time in high school would be like without them. As we were leaving our last AP test review session just last week, we stood outside our Starbucks and talked for five, ten, fifteen minutes, finding new reasons to extend our time together. I left that day with the biggest smile on my face. I have never been more grateful for my group of friends. As time continues to move forward, I can’t imagine that our final moments together are inevitably going to come in the next few months. I know that as we look forward to the joys of the future this summer will still be filled with us listening to “Never Grow Up” (Taylor’s Version) on repeat. While it’s bound to be hard, I cannot imagine another group of people that I would want to experience this with.
I value my time at home just as much as time spent with friends. Every week I look forward to facetime with my older sister Alex, being bullied into getting Starbucks for my younger sister Addy and watching Ted Lasso with my whole family. The small weekly traditions that we don’t usually think twice about mean so much to me, and I can’t believe that next year most of these will be going away. As I leave this phase of life and enter into a new chapter, I am beyond grateful for the support that my family provides me and cannot wait to host them for longhorn football games next year.
I could probably write a lot more, but in my last story I’d like to keep it short and sweet. Reflecting now through all of the best and worst parts of high school, I am able to find even more good in the small moments. I am more than ready to move on, but I know that it’s important to remember the past and value the present while I look forward to the future. I don’t know what lies ahead, but I am thankful for my people and finding ways to have fun on weekdays.
