Forty days

"Try to keep smiling. Get a little rock and roll on the radio, and go toward all the life there is with all the belief you can find and all the truth you can muster. Be true. Be brave. Stand. All the rest is darkness."

Stephen King's IT

There are forty days left of my high school career. I can't decide if I'm excited, scared, or upset. It's probably safe to say that its a mixture of all three. For myself, high school is stability. Having my parents around to provide anything I need. Once I go to college, sure I will not be living on my own, but it's one step closer to complete responsibility. That scares me.

Friends are a big part of general happiness. I love all of my friends and come fall, we will all be off to start on our new journeys, alone. There will be no more hanging out everyday after school. No more trips to Hershey Park during school and getting caught by all the teachers. I will miss all of my friends so much. I know that college will bring on a new group of friends, but its hard to just leave the old ones behind.

Singing is another part of high school that was really shaped my personality. It has helped me to become confident, and to be accountable for what is expected. Choir, ensemble, festival choirs, and singing at basketball games are just a few groups I participated in. It will be strange to not be singing music with the same group of people I have been singing with since sixth grade. I know that music will always be a strong area of interest in my life, but I also know that it will never be quite the same as it has been in high school.

My job for myself: Enjoy all of the last parts of high school and prepare myself for the next journey I am about to take.

Integrals and Black Diamonds

"You don't drown by falling in water. You drown by staying there"

I was sitting in my room tonight with Mia finishing up homework because we missed school. She started working on her Calculus and got frustrated. "I'm just not doing it," but I knew that if i could get her to understand she would do it and be proud of herself for persevering. Now I'm looking over at her and she's finishing the assignment.

Likewise, today while we were skiing on the very peak of the mountain I was extremely terrified. We're talking on the verge of tears. I wanted to cry because it was harder than a double black and looking down was vertical. Sure enough, Mia went down a little and encouraged me to just let go of my fears and go for it. As soon as I made the first turn I was fine. I was so grateful to have her with me because like the quote I was not going to get anywhere by staying in the same place.

These two instances really taught me a lot about the importance of friends. They are there to help you when you want to give up.

My job for you: Help a friend. They will appreciate it.