A letter to my freshman self

Hey Fresh Meat, welcome to high school. Ahead of you are the four strangest years of your life up to date. I wouldn’t say they were the four best years, but they were definitely the most exciting.  

Just a warning, you’re going to absolutely despise the first semester of your freshman year. It’s going to eat you alive, and your mind will be swarmed with stress concerning homework you’re probably overthinking and the overwhelming trepidation of being alone with no friends. All of these negative thoughts can be traced back to your fear of experiencing change, which, spoiler alert, never goes away!  

However, by the second semester you learn to adjust to the high school lifestyle and begin to enjoy yourself. Your first soccer season as a varsity athlete is exhilarating and scary and life-altering, and you fall in love with the sport deeper than you thought possible.  

By the end of the year you will have made friendships that will last a lifetime and memories you shan’t forget.  

Sophomore year is a blast. Your classes are easy breezy, you get to see your friends every day, and there is no such thing as COVID-19. Just kidding! Instead of coming back from spring break, a worldwide pandemic comes along and keeps you out of school for six months. 

 You have to quarantine in your house for some of the summer and you don’t go back to school in the fall. Your junior year starts online and it sucks. You will soon learn that school is not fun without the social interaction. 

You will feel like you’re missing out on the core years of your life, and you will miss your friends very deeply. When you end up going back to school in person, you have to wear a mask and social distance. Get vaccinated as soon as it is available to you, and persuade your friends to get vaccinated as well. 

 In the present we are still dealing with COVID-19 as much as we were in 2020. Obviously, there are many unknowns about the virus and you will probably find yourself feeling angry with the way certain people deal with a pandemic. 

Now, here I am, beginning my senior year of high school. The four strangest years of my life are almost coming to a close. It’s a bittersweet feeling, growing up. Cherish your friends and the memories you make with them, for they will be over before you know it and you will be getting ready to apply for college and move onto the next step of your life. Don’t take anything too seriously right now but rather live in the moment and enjoy high school for the insanity that it is. I promise you’re going to turn out okay.