Almost There

My last day of school is in exactly one week, and I'm not even a little bit sad. When that final bell rings at 2:00 on Monday afternoon, I expect to be the happiest person for miles.

I'm so ready. I have sucked high school dry, there is absolutely nothing left for me anymore. I'm ready to have long summer days and nights to hang out with my friends (and work). I'm ready for week-long vacations and camping and white water rafting trips and bonfires on my patio all the time. I'm ready for summer movies and impromptu trips to the beach and swimming in my pool. I'm ready for getting ready to go off to college in the fall. I'm ready to make new friends and get involved in tons of new things and learn about things I like. I'm ready to try living on my own. I'm ready for new dreams and goals.

The friendships that I care about are strong enough to test. The relationship I have with my family is good enough to add two hours of distance. The person I know I am is strong enough to throw into a completely new environment. Sometimes the idea of all new things scares me half to death. But most of the time, I just want to walk across the stage in my cap and gown and grab my diploma, and I want to get work and make money for next year. I want to see how much fun I can fit into a couple of months with my friends. I want to see what my own life will look like, and I want to meet the friends that will roll my way, and I want to learn about what I love and figure out what else I like.

I don't want to leave my friends, but I know that when next summer comes around, we'll be sitting on my patio in our dripping swimsuits, making s'mores. I'm willing to bet that things fall apart less radically than it feels like right now.

I came, I saw, I conquered. And I'm so ready for whatever comes next.