By Brianna Powell
Editor-in-Chief
Photo by Meghan King

I remember when the first day of school would be an excessive production. My mother would pack my lunch box, enclosed with a note that would make me feel warm inside, but not before snapping photos of me and my sister in our brand new clothes to send to my grandma. My father would drive us to school, often giving us a speech about the value of hard work before we left. At the end of the day, we’d all gather in the living room, talking about our first day without leaving a single detail out. As corny as I often thought all of it was, it meant a lot to me. Especially now.

This first day of school marks my “last first day”. It’s different this time around. Instead of being nervous about getting around the school or making friends, it’s the exact opposite. You know where to go like it’s the back of your hand. You’ve known your friends for years. You know in the back of your mind that this is the beginning of your high school swan song. Perhaps that’s why it’s bittersweet.

As I look on my laptop, the screen plastered with emails from different colleges and universities, I’ve come to realize that I can’t escape the beginning of the end: senior year. It’s exciting. It’s thrilling. It’s extremely scary. And it often involves beginning to say goodbye to the things you love.

To know that this year will be chock full of those last times is a bittersweet feeling. But it’s one that I’m already embracing. Embrace those final moments, whether it be your last varsity volleyball game, your last speech tournament, or your last choir concert. These are the moments that make senior year special. It helps you cherish what’s in your life and to be grateful for those who have been in it. It focuses on your life today, instead of stressing about the future. It might be one of the only things that saves your sanity during college application season. So embrace your last first day of school. Enjoy catching up with old friends, teachers, and classmates. Appreciate it all. It’s the beginning of a crazy ride.