When I was younger, I absolutely loved going to school. My attendance was perfect, my grades were amazing, and my friends were even better. I was okay with going to school, I enjoyed being there, and learning was fun to me. But as I got older, my friends started changing, I started changing, and we slowly drifted apart. I transferred to a new school because of family issues, and with all the changes in my life and my friends, came a change in my love for school.

My grades started to drop, and so did my attendance. I didn’t show up as often as I used to, I stopped turning in assignments, I stopped caring. By the time I turned eleven, a lot of personal stuff happened, I stopped seeing my dad, and started therapy. My grades dropped from straight A’s to C’s. In eighth grade, I transferred again and stayed till ninth. I made new friends, started a new job, got better grades, and my attendance got sort of better. By the summer after ninth grade, I was living with my friend, sleeping on her couch. Our days consisted of hanging out with friends or randoms we met in town, we’d go swimming, driving, or just do random things to keep us out of the house. At night, we’d sneak out till four in the morning, going for late-night adventures. We’d sneak to whatever open party we could find, go to the beach, explore the woods, and have fun. By the end of summer, I got a text from my mom, she’d bought a house. She asked if I wanted to come visit and see the house. I was 15 at the time, I had no license, so I asked if she could come pick me up as long as I was back before summer started. She agreed.

The ride was an hour, and consisted of her talking about the town and the house and how lovely they both were, and the town is pretty, don’t get me wrong, but only when you're visiting. A couple of days later, my mom transferred me to Ilwaco High School. There was no time to say goodbye, I couldn't even grab my stuff cause I had no ride. I was being transferred before I even knew I was living there.My grades took a turn for the worse, landing in D’s and F’s. My attendance dropped, my love for learning faded, my desire for adventure waned, and I stopped talking to old friends because we lived different lives and couldn’t find time to meet. Moments I thought would never stop became memories that felt like dreams. People I used to know everything about became strangers with familiar faces. I lost myself completely. I found myself after a while, found my style, my friends, my life. Turns out I had to figure out what I wanted in life before I actually started living.

I'm now a junior, still attending Ilwaco High School, I have new, better friends, a new style, I dyed my hair, and even got a boyfriend. My attendance is slightly improving, and my grades are getting better. I miss when school was fun, and I know little me is upset that I never got her student of the month award in high school, but I'm glad everything in life happened cause I wouldn’t be where I am with the people I'm with right now. So honestly, if forever isn’t forever, then let's just vibe till whenever.

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