As I walked into Xavier on January 3 for my last semester of high school, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of genuine excitement. I have waited three years for 2017 to arrive; my “graduation year.” As a 14-year-old freshman, 2017 seemed light years away. I felt as though time was moving slower than a turtle, and I was positive I would never make it to senior year. Sure enough, here I am. Although I have spent the past three years waiting to graduate, now that it’s almost here, my thoughts have changed. I have come to the conclusion that I am ready to graduate high school, but I’m not ready to leave my life as I know it. Xavier has been my home away from home for the past four years, but I am ready for a new adventure. I have outgrown sitting in a classroom for six hours a day with the same people I’ve known for over seven years. I will not miss teachers threatening me with a demerit every time my shirt is untucked, or having my phone taken away when I’m texting my mom at lunch, and I definitely won’t miss getting up at 6:30 every morning. After four years of these things, I am ready to move on. I have been so excited to graduate high school that I almost forgot all the other things it entails. Graduating high school also means moving to a new city by myself where I don’t know anyone. It means no more late night Criminal Minds marathons snuggled in bed with my mom. It means no more dreaded (but appreciated) Sunday morning workouts with my dad. I am not ready to trade in my plush, queen-sized bed for a lofted twin mattress, and I’m not sure how I’ll be able to fall asleep without kisses from my puppy. After realizing these things, graduating high school doesn’t seem so glamorous. I still don’t feel ready to be on my own in seven short months, but my parents have spent 17 years preparing me. As Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” Class of 2017- this is it. The end is just the beginning of the rest of our lives.