Dear Present me,
2024 is your year.
144 days ago you officially became a part of the eldest grade in the school and embraced your last first day of high school.
116 days ago you went on a retreat with your entire senior class—something your freshman self would’ve never done—and delivered the most welcoming bonfire speech imaginable.
106 days ago you rejoiced with your classmates from middle school and sang at a choir concert with them again.
97 days ago you attended your last Homecoming dance ever, while also running into some family friends at a restaurant.
82 days ago you had your senior photos taken and captured the essence of what it is like to be a 12th grader.
79 days ago you attended your second and last MIPA (Michigan Interscholastic Press Association) conference for The Central Trend.
48 days ago you became an adult and celebrated your birthday with your extended family from India.
44 days ago you attended your third Model UN (Model United Nations) conference, which just so happened to be the conference’s 50th anniversary.
27 days ago, you were an emcee for India Link’s 2023 Diwali Ceremony and put your public speaking skills to the test in front of over 100 people.
And just a few days ago, school started again.
I’m in my final semester of high school and it’s 2024—the year I graduate—which I feel very neutral about. It’s hard for me to comprehend the ever-changing circle of emotions I’m experiencing because of how quickly they’re evolving.
It’s like I’m on a Ferris wheel that’s on a never-ending, spinning cycle of being indifferent and nostalgic to the events happening around me. It’s a ride with no start and no end, yet somehow, I have found a loophole.
And that loophole is that inescapable feeling of change. It’s that feeling you get when you realize that nothing is going to be the same, and yet nothing is going to be different.
Which is exactly what this year’s going to be for me. 2024 marks the end of my K-12 years and initiates the start of my college education, which is what makes the feeling of change so comforting.
So instead of getting lost in the confusion of it all, I’m deciding to celebrate all the changes as they come.
Because 2024 is my year.
In just 29 days, I will be experiencing my final Winterfest dance.
In just 62 days, I will be attending my last state competition for DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America).
In just 63 days, I will be attending my fourth and final conference for Model UN (Model United Nations).
In just 99 days, I will be enjoying Prom, my final school dance forever.
In just 103 days, I will be singing at my third and final choir concert of the year.
In just 112 days, I will be recognized along with the Class of 2024 in my cap and gown, exhibiting Ranger Pride wherever I go.
Most importantly, in 122 days, I will be experiencing one of the most important days in my life: high school graduation.
Cherish every change as it comes, because 2024 is your year.
Sincerely,
Present me
