Na Na Na Na. Hey Hey Hey. Goodbye.

I figured the six hour car ride to California for our senior trip would be a good time to write my end of high school blog post. Sitting in the back, surrounded by some of the most amazing girls I have met these past four years, I can only smile as I listen to them talk and laugh. They are all so beautiful, happy, confident, and strong, filled with the light of Christ. Three of us are going to BYU, two are going to ASU, and one is going to NAU. Though our time in Gilbert is basically over, our lives are just beginning.
Everyone says high school goes by fast, but no one can ever truly realize that until they are lining up in the school before walking out onto the field for graduation. The last month of senior year is honestly the weirdest thing in the entire world. Walking through the halls, you take in every inch of the school that has been your home for four years.
Towards the end of the year, I went and sat in the gym by myself during a slow class period. I went into the middle of the court and laid on the tiger, looking around. I thought about the countless hours spent in there over the years, training and practicing for the state championship we won in November. I thought about how many goals I had accomplished in there; overcoming my shoulder injury, keeping my spot on varsity, and starting my senior year. I thought about all the friends I had made in that gym, all the summers we spent working to create the team chemistry that made us so successful. As I walked out, looking at our banner, I said goodbye to the jungle.
For me, I guess I just like to take everything in, stand on the sidelines and watch everyone. I love to watch friends meet up and hug, pass around yearbooks, and take pictures with the seniors that would soon be leaving. It really is weird to think about the thousands of people I've met throughout high school, where they are going in life, and the fact that I most likely will never see some of them again.
Graduation was not a spectacular surge of emotion like I expected it to be. It was a nice ceremony, all of the speeches were really heartfelt. Many of them made us laugh, cheer, and stand up. At the beginning, Dr. Santa Cruz called up five students to do the welcome in different languages. I was selected for American Sign Language, and luckily I did not mess up at all! I surprised my family and friends,  and my parents were so proud; it was really special. Of course, we had the beach balls, silly string, confetti, glitter, etc that every class does for graduation. This year, though, it seemed like all the teachers, security, and administrators were not concerned with the antics; for the most part, they let kids do whatever they wanted, with smiles on their faces. I think it was due to the fact that it was Santa Cruz's last year, he truly wanted to soak up the graduates and school he had been with for so long. I did not cry like I expected to. Many of the younger students who had come to watch were crying their eyes out on the field after, but I only felt happy. I am completely satisfied with my high school experience. It's a little bittersweet to think it's over and that I am finally an "adult", but I am ready to move on.
As fulfilling as high school has been for me, with all the amazing clubs, teachers, friends, and activities I have been involved in, I am done with the immaturity of many of my classmates and peers. I am hoping people in college will be more focused on what they want and mindful of others around them.
There are many lessons I have learned in high school, and I wish I could share them all so I could save people from heartbreak, tears, and struggle. But something I have learned is that everyone has to make their own mistakes in order to learn. You can hear it from other people and try to follow their advice, but in order for it to truly sink it, it has to be personally taught, experiencing it first hand. Advice is helpful and can definitely save you some trouble, but without a testimony of the principle gained by yourself, it will not mean much. For example, I was always told I should not even attend parties where there would be alcohol and drugs. Of course, from all the peer pressure, I had to attend one to learn for myself why we should keep our distance from those. First of all, it smells bad. Just the smell alone could keep me away, but the way people act when they are under the influence is flat out ridiculous. They are not their true selves, and find happiness from a bottle or bong. They will never find stability in that; the emotional issues they hide underneath will always surface. Their wounds will never heal in that environment. I found myself disgusted, so I vowed to never get in that atmosphere again.
The biggest piece of advice I would give though, cliche as it is, is simply to live without regret. You can never be afraid of opening up your heart and mind to new ideas, opportunities, and people. Some of the people that have taught me the most in high school are the ones I branched out to find. I never thought I would have been friends with people so far out of my typical "jock" or "LDS" circles. You have to take chances in order to gain the best kind of memories. Break a few rules (not big ones! You should never drop your standards or morals. EVER!!!!! You'll only regret it!), stay out a little too late, and don't be afraid to talk to someone new.
Well, high school is over. A new chapter is beginning. Time to grow up, find your place in the world, right?
With complete faith in God and his merciful son Jesus Christ, I know I can do anything I set my mind too, and I know I will find happiness. So, cheers!