I seriously can’t believe that the time I’ve spent in school is coming to an end. I sit here, writing this, knowing that I still have more ahead of me. The thought is crazy, right? Truth be told, I don’t know if I’m ready for it.

I’m excited for sure. I can hardly wait to pursue my dreams, move out, and define myself. I’ve made so many fond memories with my friends here, and I know I have many more memories to make. Yet, the future is scary, and often looks rough from a distance. I can’t bring myself to be excited to walk that stage, not whenever even thinking about it brings a crushing dread.

Oftentimes, I felt burnt out. I was told by people to take the hard courses, excel in CHS, take the APs, and earn as many awards as you can. Apply for every scholarship, put your name out there, and make a definition for yourself. But, I felt that pressure in more ways than one. I ended up slacking in my sophomore year, pushing myself to make up for it in my junior year, and felt the toll of everything my senior year.

As someone who’s been on the staff since his sophomore year, I’ve seen countless of members leave, writing their last memories in numerous sendoffs that I used to seek inspiration from. Every piece of advice seems to always boil down to “be yourself,” or “take it at an easy pace,” all words that are easier to say than actually do. Yet, even with this advice, I found myself failing to keep up with my peers.
But, that’s part of living isn’t it? To misunderstand, to writhe, to struggle, and somehow, our desire to live, to connect, to belong and to forgive, to accept, all those feelings have gotten us further than we’ve thought. In the end, despite everything, we keep trying, playing along, and getting along just fine. So, my advice to you–the world hasn’t ended.

There’s a famous saying, carpe diem, which basically means to “seize the day.” You should take that chance, leap into the unknown, and let yourself have fun. Who cares if you mess up? That’s a part of living. You aren’t defined by past mistakes; nobody is going to remember “that one day” in high school five years from now. It is okay to fail.

Take that day off, do what you’ve always dreamed of doing, and most importantly, have fun. You only live once, so you should start living now.