It's been two years since I donned the bright white mortar board hat, tassle hanging down (and hitting me in the face if I walked just right) and crossed the stage, officially ending my 12 years of compulsory education. Now here I was, entering the same Upper Marlboro Equestrian Center, the graduation ceremony mecca for Maryland schools near and far-- except this time I was headed for the stands, not the stage.
Two years have gone by- is this accurate? I've definitely spent a good amount of time at school in sunny Los Angeles-- I've taken some courses and made some great friends. But two years worth? And coming home; every time I come home it feels like I haven't left. My room is still as messy as I left it the previous time. Our 2004 Honda Odyssey (affectionately dubbed the "Swagger Wagon") still sits out on the street, the third family car for the high school student to drive to and from school. There's been a change here: the car used to be mainly mine, and then was shared with my younger brother. Now, he has commandeered it (shout-out to Krysia for that great word)-- I no longer use it. He tells me I can't: the smell will knock me off my feet.
I digress. Graduation is an exciting time. For the 500 graduates of Broadneck High School, this is a day of celebration. For some, it is the end of an era and the beginning of another: college, university, work, or travel. Others feel that this is it: high school is over and that's enough. Regardless of where you're headed, I urge you to keep a few things in mind:
1. Be Passionate. Find whatever makes you tick, invest time into perfecting it, and do it. This is the most fulfilling way to go through life.
2. Be Humble. As you move away from home and this stage in life, relationships with friends and family change. In my case, distance does make the heart grow fonder. Cherish the time you have with friends and family. Help out around the house. My parents were shocked when I came home this summer and started doing the dishes of my own accord. What I used to try everything in my power to avoid doing, I now do to serve my parents out of love.
3. Be Adventurous. Travel. Try new things. Do all this while you're young and have fewer responsibilities. Yes, I know "you only live once"-- apply a little YOLO if you want. Whatever you call it, make the most of the time you have NOW. Life already started.
That's all from me for now. Have a beautiful week!
Photographically yours,
Kylie
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