By Sadie York
As I write this reflection, graduation looms a mere six weeks away, and yet, the fact still has yet to hit me. Upon walking through the LIFE Crew tunnel on my first day of Freshman year, not knowing where to look or calculating how to awkwardly rush out, I’ve eagerly anticipated what’s to come next. In the fall, it’s always been the next football game to look forward to, and after that, Homecoming, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and winter break…the list goes on. Looking back on my cram-packed four years of high school, I realize the value of slowing down, and truly living in the moment, rather than simply awaiting the “next big thing.”
The key: balance. As someone who’s constantly fallen prey to what seems like a never-ending load of homework, tests, and burnout—it’s the small moments that have elevated my entire high school experience. Finding value in a simple day, whether that day includes dozing off to an hour-long lecture or rushing to get a very limited-supply breakfast burrito from the snack line, you’ll find yourself noticing things that might’ve slipped your attention prior.
During the stagnant months of school, with no breaks in sight, just coming out of the new year, is when I’ve found myself the least motivated and possess the fewest memories from my years prior. However, in surrounding myself with the right people and maintaining activities that I hold passion for, it becomes far easier to “romanticize” a period of redundancy. As much as you might want to mindlessly rush through these segments of life, just remember one foot in front of the other.
There’s certainly been some notable moments throughout my high school experience, and the common denominator within all these memories has been their unexpectedness. My best experiences were all out of the blue—completely random moments filled with fits of laughter, shocking revelations, and sometimes with the people I’d least expect. While the events I’d been anticipating for weeks, such as dances or rallies, were fun, sure, I often found myself overhyping a short few hours to ultimately end up disappointed.
So, while I’m not one to tell you how to live your life, if there’s one piece of advice I’d leave behind, it’d be to enjoy the little things and to really take things day by day.