Writing my senior column feels surreal. I remember planning for it my previous two years on TKC, dreaming about all the different things I could say. The people I could call out for being mean, the old crushes I could reveal, the teachers I loved or hated. Trust me, I had plenty of opinions to share. I still do. However, sitting down to write about any of those things feels detrimental to the purpose of a senior column, which is to talk about the things that have shaped me into who I am and give a message to those who will soon be in my position. It also feels a bit silly. It’s my senior column. No need to write about other people. The hard part is deciding what about me I should write about.

I’ve spent the majority of my life trying to fit in, to be the girl everyone wants to be or be with. You would think that after six schools and 18 years I would have it figured out, but alas, no. No matter how much Lululemon I wore or how many Instagram followers I had, I would never be the people I was trying so hard to impress. I always felt awkward, thinking that if I could change any thing about me, I would be as confident as I hoped. I’m still coping from being the tallest sixth grade girl, and the third tallest sixth grader. However, I’ve learned that it’s not about changing your shape to fit another person’s puzzle, but about finding which puzzle you belong in. Sometimes it’s multiple, sometimes it feels like it’s none. 

Finding a place is hard, but there are people who make it easy. My built-in-best friends (or enemies, depending on the day), Kat, Travis, Margie and John, or my role-model parents who taught me the importance of love and family. The girls on my lacrosse team, the people I work with at TASK, my best friends. The world is scary AF, but it’s a lot less frightening when you’re not alone.