Graduation :)
So I finally caught up to all you guys out there in America! I have officially graduated from Olympia High School, and I am part of the Class of 2011! For high school, anyways. Now it is on to working towards the Class of 2015 graduation!
This was one of the most exciting days of my life. It was full of so many mixed feelings! I am sure that everyone can relate to that, though. It was a slap in the face the day before graduation when we had our rehearsal that I was about to officially leave high school forever. We didn’t do much, basically just found out where we were going to sit on stage and where to walk… simple common sense type stuff. It went by pretty fast. I couldn’t say the same for the actual ceremony.
It is always known for graduation ceremonies to be ridiculously long, but when you have 333 kids in your graduating class, there is no explanation for the drag. After all the speakers and recognitions, I got a little break from the drawn-out sit when Jukevox sang. We sang one of our more popular songs, and then we have been rehearsing a final song (which happens every year) as a final farewell and words of advice to our fellow graduating seniors. We split up the solo so every senior in the group got a segment where they were featured, and this year we sang “True Colors.” I personally thought it was a great choice for graduation, and all of our solos went really well.
But then after that came the longest part of all: The walk across stage. I was lucky that I have Valedictory Honors and that I am a part of NHS, because with the combination of the two, I was one of the first ones to walk the stage. The only bad part about that was that I had to sit through the other 310-some kids. That was excruciating. I mean sure, I am happy for everyone else (almost) as much as I am for myself that we all just graduated, but after I got my diploma, I was ready to get off that hot stage and out of that hot cap and gown.
When the ceremony finally did end and we threw our hats in the air, it was picture time. We all walked out before our families, so after the challenge of finding each of our own relatives in the ever-growing crowd of people coming out, we had to find each other. Luckily it was a nice day outside, since that is where we all ended up. I had to make sure I took pictures with all my closest friends, and luckily not many of them were crying. As soon as I saw anyone cry, my tears would start flowing too. I know I will not miss high school, but I will miss my friends and the close relationships I have developed over the years. College will be great for new friends, but to create these strong friendships again will take years, all over again. But hey, I’m ready for it! It is always lots of fun to get to know new people!
Anyway, after we finally decided we all had had enough of pictures, we all parted ways to go out to dinner. I went to my personal favorite, the Olive Garden. I hope everyone in the world has heard of it, because it is AMAZING. Love the breadsticks, love the salad, and love the food, even though I am always full from the first two by the time my actual food comes. My closest friends then decided to get together to celebrate at one of our friends’ house. We just hung out for the night and enjoyed the feeling that “Hey, we just graduated!”
Overall, the day was a blast. Lots of waiting, anticipation, and feelings, but what is life without any form of excitement? Well, summer has officially started for me. I know I am a little late since New York graduates its students late, but I am glad to be here. I am ready to enjoy what time I have left with my friends, work and earn as much money as possible, and get ready for the next chapter of life, most likely to be the most exciting and best one.