Those little things I'll forget.

Today was technically my last day of high school, even though I only went to school for half an hour.  My palms are sweating when I think about my speech tomorrow and I am anxious all inside when I think about it.

I feel like I've been saying good-bye for the past two weeks.  Oh, this is the last time for this, last time for that, oh wait, I still will see you all next week.  People always ask about graduation, but they never say how weird life is going to be, you know?  Your entire landscape is going to change, and it's probably the most bizarre feeling, yet no one acknowledges it!

But what I want to remember this year:
Late nights and early mornings.  Friends, and a friend group!  A lot of volleyball.  A permanent Google Chrome window open with debate research or We the People.  My lunch would consist of a whole wheat bagel, banana, tomatoes, and apple.  I would get up around 6:10.  I would leave by 7:20.  I stayed late a lot working on debate, stats, or WTP.  I listened to The Dog Days are Over, Love Me Again, Try, Hurricane, and Humble Me.  I was obsessed with my jean vest and red gingham shirt.  I read Daring Greatly which completely changed how I view myself and how I interact with others.  My locker was usually full of textbooks and I carried my laptop around nearly every day since January. My unit would always meet in the farthest left library table, the one with four chairs.  I had a surprise birthday party, a complete surprise, full of so many people.  I was really into bracelets and usually had two or three on.  Last trimester I had five college classes-that was a mistake.  It sometimes felt like I was constantly being judged for something, a debate tournament, scholarship opportunity, or speech.  I wrote in my journal a lot.  I got a lot better at ignoring the voice of doubt.  I started acting a lot more like myself and decided to just start doing it.  I really got into the treadmill this year and started running on it more.  I started using iCal and kind of loved it.  I got a Snapchat and made my Instagram public.  I started thinking a lot about what to cook next year when I'm on my own.  I went to a few mission call openings and will go to a lot of farewells.  People said that I got mono at True Bobcat (I didn't even go) and Mono Monday became a thing.  It seemed like very few people called me Elise, it varied from Elsie, Elsea, Canise, Else, Ellis, and most recently, Big Irene (least favorite).  People found out I was an ice cream lover and I discovered I loved strawberries.  I liked INXS and liked to run to my 'Soulful' playlist.  Strawberry chocolate shakes are the best from In-n-Out.

This girl is ready to graduate and rock the world.  Let me at 'em.

xo. Elise