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It’s finally 2024! I am filled with many emotions, but I am ready to experience this new year. Once that clock hit 00:00 (I use military time), everything that is to come hit me like a boulder. I began to realize that a lot is going to change this year and it gave me the most unmanageable anxiety attack. 

The first thing I realized at that moment of the clock hitting the new year was that I am going to become a senior. In August, I will be starting my last first day of high school, and that amazes me. I am so proud of myself for getting to this point and being able to graduate high school. The other part of me is sad that I will be leaving my childhood classmates and friends once we graduate. It’s kind of overwhelming knowing that I have to start figuring out what college I would like to attend and what I want to study. The other thing that shook me is that this year will be the last season I will get to be on the field with my brother as he plays football. After this year, we will be separated, going on our different paths to adulthood. I am thankful for all of my teachers, friends, and classmates through the years who have helped me grow into the person I am today. 

The second thing I realized is that in October I will be turning 18. I remember when I was in middle school wishing I would just be 18 already, but now that I am on the road to being 18, it terrifies me. My grandmother raised me to be independent at a young age, which I am super thankful for, but I think there are some things I am still going to want her to be around for. I’m not ready to go to my appointments alone or pay for taxes…not yet. It’s all coming too quickly and it makes me sad knowing that time has flown by so fast. I wish my mom could be here to watch me turn into an adult but I know she is up there watching over me. 

The third and final thing I realized was that just because you want something it doesn’t mean it’s meant to be. For example, my friend and I decided to buy a puzzle because we wanted to see if it would be fun. We spent hours working on this puzzle but I spent more time on it than she did. After 4 days of working on it, I gave her the honor of putting the last piece in the puzzle. We were so happy at our accomplishment- until we saw that one piece was missing. The anger we felt when we couldn’t find that piece was unexplainable and I just wanted to throw the puzzle away. After that event, it made me realize that no matter how much you work for something it may not be what you expect. 

These 3 realizations have impacted my mindset completely. I now have a new outlook on life and I will be doing everything in my power to make this my year.