I finished this challenge! :D
In no particular order…
Family. And writing this darned 15 page term paper (Princeton has finals in January :( I know… it’s a tragedy!).
Man, I’ve been having this conversation with my friends for months. It usually starts with…
“Wow…”
And I guess “wow” really encompasses how everything feels. There isn’t really a concrete emotion to describe it. It’s not wholly sadness or happiness, it’s way more complicated.
It has been very difficult during these past few weeks to come to terms with leaving. Since I returned from Hawaii, I’ve said more than two goodbyes per day, and there are more to come. It’s been pretty emotional at times, probably because I am sad that we will never live in the same “high school world” again. That phase in our lives is permanently over, and it’s time to move on. That’s hard to grasp because I love Arcadia so much… it is just difficult to know that I’m leaving almost everything behind.
That said, I’m excited to go to college and be in a new environment. I know I’ll learn and grow as both a student and a person. I know I’ll meet awesome people, and find my own niche at Princeton. I will be happy, which really is the most important thing.
I guess it’s time to move on to bigger and better things. As September 1 looms nearer and nearer, the sinking feeling of “goodbyes” numbs, and I am starting to realize that it never has to be an actual goodbye. And that makes me feel a better. I’ll definitely miss everything about high school and Arcadia, but I think I’m now ready for college.
Anyway, onto my thank yous…
Thank you to my friends for always being there for me. I couldn’t ask for better friends in my life- not only are you all a bedrock of support, but you each inspire me and push me to be a better person each day. And I can act as weird as I want around you guys and you’ll all act just as weird back :)
Thank you to my teachers for guiding me along the way in high school and getting me back on the right path when I veered in the wrong direction.
Thank you to my parents for the unconditional love and support. I obviously couldn’t achieve anything without you.
Sometimes, it’s hard to believe how fast we have grown up. I can’t believe I’m leaving for college this week…
Oh, be proud of me for FINALLY finishing the Senior Year Tumblr Challenge :P
Three more days until I fly east! I’m anxious, but excited… as always :)
I’m gonna miss a lot of things…
This list is not complete, but pretty thorough… there are so many things I’ll miss about this place…
Just a little over one week left before I fly east!
I’m blessed to have parents who learned early on that the best parents are the ones who encourage their children to explore rather than force them down a path. They respected my interests and passions, and not only let me pursue them but pushed me to be the best I could be.
An ideal parent provides unconditional love and support, and my parents exude those traits and much more. Looking back, I’m amazed they put up with my 5 AM swim practices, traveling speech tournaments, stubborn attitude, and more… and for that I am forever grateful.
Lastly, my parents are endless inspirations to me. Their modesty, intellectual curiosity, and passionate drive are all characteristics that I can only hope to embody in the future.
