I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. Growing up, I couldn’t wait to graduate and be able to start my life the way I wanted. I was so excited to leave my parents’ house. But now that the time has come, the feelings I’m experiencing are very bittersweet. While I’m thrilled to graduate, I’m also very upset. Everything that I’ve ever known is about to be gone after summer. Whether I like it or not, Jacksonville has been the only home I’ve known.
I never believed people who said high school would be the fastest years of your life. At the time it felt like it was just dragging on. Every day I would wish for graduation to get here already. I’ve always heard that high school would be the best four years of your life. That was true in some ways and some ways not. I had amazing friends my first three years of high school, but like always, we all just drifted apart at the end of junior year. I’ve always been good in school, so I never struggled to keep good grades. I’ve had some pretty amazing teachers as well. So while I’ve lost those friends, I will have those memories forever, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I thought I would have had my future all planned out by now, but I definitely do not. I’m very conflicted between just going to Lincoln Land and waiting for the military or just going straight into the military and going from there. I’ve never been more confused, stressed or scared in my life. I know things will come together sooner or later; they always do, so I have faith it’ll all turn out well in the end.
I’ve got some advice to underclassmen: don’t wait; start now. You don’t have as much time as you think because it goes by way too fast.