Three hundred and ninety six days until I take my steps through the graduation arch. Butterflies flutter through my stomach as I think about the concept that in 396 days from now I will no longer belong to my school but my school will belong to me. I will no longer be able to wear my kilt and white knee sox, I no longer will have CQ, and breakfast will not be required. The thought of freedom starts a war within my head.

In 31 days I will officially be a senior, I will have my ring and finally after four year I won’t have to watch every step I take because I can walk on whatever piece of grass desired. It’s my turn for the senior breakfast and I get to sit on the green bleachers at graduation. The excitement however is overwhelmed with sadness and loss. How can I be happy when I must say goodbye to all the people that have been with me since I took my first steps on campus as a student. Then again how can I not be happy? I have waited for these privileges and the time when I am able to say “I am a senior in high school” and it actually would be the truth. I am ready for it to be my time, and I am ready to see my year lit up at final ball.

Starting the college process I realize what my summer has in store for me. I will be spending my days doing college application, after college application, after hundreds of essays, while make a website for my senior service project, and visiting colleges. My summer will fly by and finally I will start my senior year. The year will begin and I will start to choreograph my dances for Honors in Dance. I will finish up my college things and turn them in, along with my senior service project. Then I wait, with that same butterfly feeling to hear if the college of my dreams decides if they are going to accept me or smash all of my dreams and self esteem in one simple letter. I will be spending as much time with my friends as possible and making spring break plans for my final high school spring break! Then when January comes I will be starting the countdown for the days until the end of this long road.

Back to junior year on Sunday morning, 7:00 A.M. June 6. I will start the countdown of 364 days until my graduation. Finally it will be my day and I can close this high school door and open a new one full of opportunities. When my grad comes, I can just imagine my make up will no longer be perfectly applied but it will be running down my face. Sitting, watching the once tough boys running around the field trying to get in the last minute hugs as students together. When grad comes my flowers will be somewhere scattered on the ground amongst the other bouquets and the military hats. I will be running wildly trying to the find the people that meant the most to me. Grad will be a day full of goodbyes and questions that cannot be answered, because no one knows what the future has in store for them. For some reason I beg for that day to come, the day filled with excitement but once that day comes and I have taken my final steps through the arch, I will be begging just to have one more day on the other side of that arch as a high school student.