As of a few days ago, I am officially a high school graduate. I remember thinking that this day was so far away, unreachable and almost too difficult too fathom as a young girl, but it happened and now it's over. When I pictured the moment when I walked up that stage to receive that piece of paper I worked so hard for, I thought I would be different, someone who knew exactly what she wanted. To my surprise though, over all these years, I don't feel like I've changed all that much, and I still have that feeling of uncertainty that I believed I would have conquered by now. I realize this is normal, I'm still at that point where I am trying to figure out the kind of person I want to be, but I am happy knowing that I have an idea of who I'd like to be and that it doesn't stretch far from who I already am. This is only one stepping stone that I have to cross, while there are many more that lie ahead, and overall, I wouldn't change anything. I'm thankful for the people who helped me get here, and grateful for everything I've been through, good and bad, because I've learned a lot. That being said, I still have many things to learn, partly on how to be an successful grown-up, but more importantly, I have to keep focus on the things that actually matter, which I already have a pretty good grasp on. It's a little bittersweet knowing the fact that I will never walk those halls again as a high school student, or ever see some of those teachers again or the people who I have known since elementary school, but I'm ready to move forward.
