My Final Days At High School

"Jack, take a picture with me!"

"K."

I feel like most of us just don't know what to do with ourselves after our last day of high school.

I mean, the last 13 years of our lives have completely revolved around school.  We've had to wake up early every day, worry about how many classes we have, which ones we want to take, homework and essays and projects.  Our days have been divided into school hours and after school activities.  It's where our social circles were born and have expanded over the years, where we've learned how to fit into social hierarchies and cliques, if we want to fit ourselves into them at all.  We've spent over a decade making sure we have enough credits, volunteer hours, and good grades for what?  To progress to the next level of school.

And it's not until you've finally crossed that finish line, whether you came in soaring or only managed to crawl over, that you realize you don't know anything else.  You lay down in bed every night checking to make sure your alarm is set for the morning before remembering that you don't have to get up early on Monday.  It's only after you picked out your outfit for school tomorrow that you realize you didn't have to.  And the habit of panicking because you forgot if you had homework over the weekend?  Hard one to break.  

Senior Spirit Week (last week of school for seniors), Day 1: "Dress like the other type of senior".  My friend, Danny, is notorious for going all out on special days.

Naturally, we're all bound to have mixed feelings about high school being over.  Everyone's ecstatic about not having to be awake and out the door on the bus driver's time, or fighting to stay awake while your math teacher drones on and on and ooooooon about quadratics that you know you will never use outside of a career in something like engineering.  Thank GOD for not being forced to turn every mundane object in Lord of the Flies into a symbol anymore, or mild to severe frustration that no academic class has ever taught you about filing taxes or getting a good job, but man, can you whip out the Pythagorean theorem like it ain't nobody's business!

Senior Spirit Week, Day 2: "Dress Like You Did as a Freshman Day".  I didn't have an interesting Freshman wardrobe, so I tried out a style I've always wanted to--punk!

But on the other hand, high school has a special place in your heart somewhere.  It's always been the place where you could congregate with all your friends to do whatever it is you guys did: play cards at lunch or sit in the back of the classroom and watch YouTube videos when you should have been taking notes.  You've stood against the trials of popularity and teachers that you're certain hate your guts, sometimes alone.  

Senior Spirit Week, Day 3: "Beach Day".  We legit had a potluck at our table group in English.  Pineapple courtesy of my friend, Cameron.

And let's be honest: you've had more fun at school events than you want to let on.  Homecomings, Prom, and all other dances in between.  The sports events, even when your team royally sucked, were still pretty fun to cheer at, and who doesn't like having an excuse to paint your face up and act crazy?  (Sometimes I do it just because--no reason needed!)  And yes, even the pep rallies were awesome, no matter if you loved them or hated them.  Especially when they started throwing free stuff into the crowds.

I got permission from my Japanese Sensei to bring in homemade ice cream (remember the video project I uploaded?) for the class.  The endeavor wouldn't have been complete without a group selfie (including Jack, who wasn't even in my class).

Plus, look at how far you've made it: school is hard.  You've trucked through 13+ years of it, and after all that hard work, you made it out alive.

Senior Spirit Week, Day 4: "Dress to Impress Day".  But more importantly, SURPRISE CONGA LINE!

So in the end, leaving high school behind is bittersweet.  An entire chapter of your life is closing up for good, and you can never re-open it.

My English table group had a potluck on Beach Day.  Seriously.  We had nachos, donuts, cookies (some of them provided by me), and even pie!  Our teacher was cool with it... as long as she got some of the goods.

At the same time, however, it's closing up this chapter that will lead to new, exciting, enriching chapters of your life.

#SwipinGrandpasGlasses

You wouldn't have made it this far without overcoming the obstacles of your school career.

In other news: VanillaChocolate drops their new album Summer '15

#DemHeelsTho

And if you can make it through high school,

Danny and Ethan, two indispensable members of the Musical Theater Crew.

You've got the whole 'real world' thing under control.

My fabulousness is only outshined by that of Megan.

...anyone know how to adult?

ECHO out.