5 Things I Learned My Senior Year of Highschool

I learned more about myself this year, than any other year of my life. There's been a lot of changes, a lot of exciting events, and a lot of emotions. I wanted to touch on a few things I picked up along the way, now that I graduated today!

 I love this picture of my best friend and I.

1. It's the people, not the place- I've said it many times before, but I have amazing friends that I've connected with on a deeper level this year. Having great friends makes you feel good about yourself and the world around you. This was one of the happiest years of my life, simply due to the fact that I have incredible people in my life, constantly supporting and lifting me up. I learned what it means to truly be a friend to someone: dropping everything to help them, always being happy for them even if you're not happy yourself, supporting others in their endeavors, being a listener. 

2. It all works out in the end- I'm sure you could hear the despair in my voice as I wrote blog posts during the fall and winter. When I was applying to college, it was probably the worst I ever felt about myself. Those months were terrible for me and I felt like I was never going to see the end. Graduation seemed like a finish line I was never going to reach, and now I'm actually here. I can't quite believe it. I remember getting rejected from my dream school and thinking that I would never be happy again. Now, I am attending my dream school and I couldn't be happier. Things have a funny way of working out in due course, and I wish I had known that earlier. I am at such a high point in my life and I don't ever want to go back to the place that I was in only a few months ago. Things will get better, and it may take some time, but you'll be so overjoyed when they do! 

3.  Focus on what's important to you- This year I really went the extra mile to contribute to things I was passionate about. By honing in my attention to things I truly loved, I was able to learn a lot about myself, my talents, and what I was capable of. Doing what you love shows who you truly are!

4. Saying goodbye is hard- I've shed a lot of tears the past few months as I've had a lot of "lasts": last concerts, last lunches, last days of school, last class, last school events, last spirit week. All of the activities and people that have made high school amazing are all leaving me. I'm in the process of writing letters to people that have impacted my life in a major way as I've grown up. It's hard to realize that I'll soon be going off on my own and leaving behind my safe routine and life, without the people who have been there everyday by my side. I just have to accept that time goes on and I can't stop by life from changing. 

5. Be excited for the future- While I've been sad about what I'm leaving behind, it's getting me more excited for what lies ahead. I don't know what direction life will take me, or who it will be with, but I can't wait. I am so ready to start the rest of my life! College is supposedly some of the best years you will ever get, and I am beyond thrilled to become immersed in this extraordinary time. I can let myself be excited and exhilarated for a second: I just finished up twelve years of education (a huge accomplishment) and now I'm going off to study what I love. I feel so lucky and eager to see what lies ahead. 

-Ashley Ann