As I sit here staring at the clutter on my floor, I realize something: high school is over. I have dreamed about this day since I started kindergarten, and now it is here. Graduation is just around the corner, and I don’t have anything to show what I have done in my time here. My cap and gown are taunting me from the closet. They are a reminder that graduation is coming quickly and I need to embrace the time I have left. I was always told that high school goes quickly and that I should enjoy every minute of it. I found it hard to enjoy waking up every morning at 5:00am to get ready to go to school. I found it especially hard to get excited about going to school everyday knowing that when I came home I would be spending hours doing writing papers, looking up research, and doing worksheets. Ok, enough thinking; get back to packing.

I suddenly get a burst of motivation and start packing. My clothes that were neatly hung in my closet are now lying haphazardly in a box labeled “college stuff.” I have three piles around me. Funny isn’t it? Being able to clump all of your belongings into three measly piles. One I have deemed as the “college pile,” the next pile is the “home pile,” and finally the last pile is the “throw away pile.” I am aware that the piles I have lying around me will probably all start to blend together soon, but at least I feel like I am getting something done if I have them separated. I have sorted through the first pile of clothes I hauled out of my closet; it’s time for the next pile.

As I grab a bundle of clothes to sort through, I see an old photo album hidden in the back of my closet. I sit down and start thumbing through the pages filled with old
memories. I see faces that I don’t recognize from years gone by. I see smiles that I will never forget from the good days. I sit here in my room with a book of faded memories, and I am overwhelmed with the realization of how much I have done in high school.

I close the book. That was a chapter of my life that has closed. I keep packing. As I throw my dusty old worn out tennis shoes into the throw away pile, I also throw away my memories of the people I knew that betrayed me. I used to love them, but after so much time has passed I realize that I don’t need them anymore. I had been holding onto them for years, knowing that if I threw them away everything would seem more final. I wish I could keep them forever, but time has taken its toll and now it’s time to throw them away. Then I see my favorite hoodie lying aimlessly on the floor. I could never leave home without it; it’s going into the ever growing “college pile.” I remember all of the nights I would curl up in it, and its warmth kept me safe. It may be worn out and faded but it got me through a lot of tough times. I’m going to college alone, but I know that the memories of my friends will be with me through the good times and bad. As I keep packing I see my old blanket on the bed. I used to love using that blanket, but I got a newer one and moved on. I will leave the old blanket at home, and take my new one with me. I know that I will make new friends in college, but that doesn’t mean I will have to forget the ones I have from home. I will always save these memories, but I can save them for when I get a little home sick.

Packing has been bittersweet for me, but I have learned a lot about myself. I know that my memories from the past aren’t necessary for making college a success, but I know that I have learned from my past. Goodbye high school. Hello college