“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on”- Robert Frost

April 1st is the big day, folks. That's when most people have found out whether they got into the college they want to attend. Throughout the past week, myself and a few of my friends have found out that they didn't get into the college they were hoping to go to. I got wait listed at NC State. Jimmy and Greg got wait listed at Virginia Tech. Elise didn't get into Virginia Tech. Kyle didn't get into Boston University.  Although none of us got immediately accepted into these schools, all of us STILL got into amazing schools. I got into Tech, East Carolina, Christopher Newport, and VCU. Greg's already planning where he'll live when he goes to VCU. Jimmy got into Appalachian State and James Madison. Elise got into Radford, Longwood, Old Dominion, and VCU. Kyle got into RIT and UMASS.

Getting wait listed at NC State was the last thing I wanted to happen; I had my whole life planned out around me getting accepted to the University. I still got into Virginia Tech, which was the school I'd been dreaming of going to ever since I was in middle school. When I first found out I got wait listed, I was completely upset. I cried and I was angry toward people that got in. After wasting a few days doing that, I realized that my life is going to go on no matter what. I'm going to get a college education, I'm going to be successful, and I'm going to make things work with Hunter, even though we're going to separate colleges.

I hope every single one of my friends becomes successful in everything they do. Even though they might not have gotten into the university they wanted to go to, they still have the ability to be happy and live an awesome life. College is going to be a life-changing experience, and no matter where we all go, we'll all end up somewhere great.

"The couple that fights the most is the one most in love"

This quote annoys me. If you're in a relationship, you probably know that the worst part of that relationship is getting into fights. When all you're trying to do is be happy, and have a nice time, a fight always seems to pop up and ruin your plans. I used to believe this quote for a long time, but now I just think it's a total lie. To me, the whole point of being in a relationship with someone is to be happy. They're supposed to make you happy and vice versa. If more time is spent mad/upset with each other than happy, I don't see the point in being in the relationship anymore. The other person in the relationship obviously isn't doing their job.

I've basically seen this happening throughout a relationship of two people that I'm friends with. At the beginning of their relationship, everything was smooth sailing. They were both content with everything. As the relationship progressed, they started fighting more and more, and never got out of that funk. They continuously fight when it's just them, and it seems like they're never happy anymore.

Showing that you can overcome a few big fights may prove that you're a strong couple, and you're the "most in love", but if they're happening every single day, something isn't right. If more of your time in the relationship is spent worrying about fighting instead of actually letting loose and being happy, give it up. It'll be for the better. You aren't really in love, and things will steadily get worse.

 

"The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even if the people in it do" - Andy Worhol

Pictures are probably one of my favorite items. I wouldn't say I have an obsession with them, but I really enjoy them. I like looking at them a long time after they were taken, and notice things that I haven't noticed before. Pictures capture moments so brilliantly; if you take a picture at the right moment, that moment can be yours forever. I've taken tons and tons of pictures from around sixth grade, and I still continue to take pictures every single day. I want my children to know the things that I did with my friends. I want them to know that I lived an amazing life. I want them to see the memories I made.

After a few years of high school, people I was once friends with just aren't my friends anymore, but it's still fun to go back and look at pictures that we took. It's fun to think what we were doing, where we were, where we were getting ready to go, everything. I'm going to share some of my favorite pictures, from some of my favorite times. I may not be friends with these people anymore, but the picture will never change. That moment will never be erased from my life. I will love that moment forever even if I don't love these people forever.

I love this picture so much. One of my friends had a dance party and Every Other Weekend played. Chalsa used to be my best friend and they were covering Blink-182 songs, which is who we were crazy about. You can tell what song we're singing in this (All The Small Things) and it makes me so happy. We were having such a good time, and had no worries. In this moment, I have so much happiness because they were playing one song. Chalsa and I aren't even friends anymore, but I will always keep this picture.

This is from softball my freshman year, the year I stopped playing. Our coach was Coach McAllister, and I loved her so much. Softball that year was a million times better than my eighth grade year, and I'll never forget the people on the team. This picture just shows what a great time I had that season, and how happy I was. I still catch up with Coach M on Facebook, and she's the same chill, down to earth coach I knew.

This may seem lame, but Austin, Michaela, Kaylyn, and I used to call ourselves TMNT. This day we went to the mall and hung out with Andrew Bozman. We took so many pictures and bought stupid stuff from Claire's. This was either in seventh or eighth grade, and it shows how much we've changed. All of us have grown apart in some way or another, but this picture reminds me that we used to hangout every single weekend; this was just one instance of fun we ran into.

The night of the fair. The first night I talked to Hunter. The only reason I was at the fair was by chance, and I didn't even talk to any of the people who were there, but I'm glad I went. After the fair was when I became friends with Hunter, and I had the biggest crush on him! I know after this picture was taken I was giddy that I was right next to him in it. We talk about this picture all the time and how funny it is that everyone has their arm around someone, but Hunter and I don't. Everyone in this picture doesn't even hang out anymore, but I will NEVER, ever forget that night.

YOLO!

"You only live once"

After the popular song, "The Motto" by Drake was released, this phrase became popular again. It's also abbreviated as "YOLO"  in the song. Some people may find this saying stupid, annoying, or childish, but I think it could spice up someone's life. This quote has had quite an effect on some people. If something comes up that doesn't happen very often, one might think "YOLO" to themselves, and take the opportunity to do that thing. There have been numerous jokes about this quote, and there's even a twitter account named "Yolo Jokes" that just tweets jokes that mock the quote all day. Some of the jokes are funny, like people asking, "Before Drake, did people think they could live more than once?" Well no, people didn't think that.Teenagers and young adults listen to Drake, and one's teenage years are supposed to be the funnest ones of their life. Drake could have a profound impact on these people and make their lives better than they already are. Some people may start taking chances that they would've never taken before, all because.. well.. YOLO.

I've also been known to mock this phrase. The other night in dance class, my friend told me she didn't think she could do a certain jump. I replied with, "Well.... YOLO!" She started laughing, but when she went across the floor, she still tried to nail the jump. The phrase can just make someone have more definite decisions in their life.  Although I think this phrase is completely outplayed, I know that some of my decisions will be based off of this from now on. I'm going to jump on opportunities that arise that may never arise again.

"I carry your heart with me. I am never without it. Anywhere I go, you go, my dear" - e.e Cummings

This actually isn't the official quote by e.e. Cummings. This was a verse in a song that I sang in tenth grade with the all girls show choir, Reflections. Around winter break, our chorus teacher, Mrs. Gregory, told us that she was going to be out of school for a little while because she needed to get surgery. She told us not to worry, she would be back, and we would practice harder than ever for our competitions while she was gone. While she was gone, we had Mrs. Graham. Mrs. Graham had a sort of hard attitude about her; she knew Mrs. Gregory personally and was extremely excited to teach our class, and help us clean up our shows. We worked hard while Mrs. G was gone. My first competition was coming up on Friday, March 5, and I was a nervous wreck. On Monday morning I walked into school, and I saw all of the teachers walking out of the auditorium. I didn't really think anything of it, and went to my first period gym class. As we were sitting on the bleachers (we didn't dress out that day) the announcements came on. The speaker announced that we had lost a special one of our teachers that morning. Her name was Mrs. Gregory.

I literally couldn't believe my ears. I immediately started crying, and turned around to hug Hieu. I sat there hugging Hieu for what seems like hours, thinking that this couldn't be true. Mrs. Gregory had to come back to school! She had to see our show. She had to see me perform. She had to see us place at competition. I looked across the gym at Kaylyn, and ran over and hugged her. We were both in Reflections. At the beginning of our freshman year, Mrs. Gregory had told us something important. "You are my future show choir girls," she said. Mrs. Gregory knew I danced, and the passion that I had for it. She always bragged to Mrs. Jennifer, our choreographer, whenever I had to leave rehearsal for dance class. She was so proud of me for everything I did. Every time we did a writing assignment, she told me she LOVED my hand writing. Whenever I walked down to fourth period, I could smell popcorn because that's what Mrs. G loved to snack on. Nothing was ever going to be the same.

Mrs. Graham chose for us to sing a rendition of this song at our spring concert. Every time we sung it in class, I felt chills. Some people may say this is an exaggeration, but I'm not lying. Every time we sung this I felt something inside of me stir. It's like she was there listening. We executed that song perfectly every time we sung it, and it was the night of the spring concert. I wasn't nervous about our show. I wasn't nervous about the opening song. I was only nervous about "I Carry Your Heart." I'd been waiting to sing this for a crowd, for the crowd to feel the feelings we had toward the song, for a long time. It was finally the night. A few verses into the song, I was crying. Mrs. Gregory wasn't an ordinary teacher. She was someone special. She always gave people her personal advice. She complimented students daily. She told us that she gave a student her lunch every single day, so she could spend her lunch money on her show choir costumes. Mrs. Gregory was special.

A part of Mrs. G will always be with me, just like this song says. If I hadn't gotten those chills every time we sung this song, I don't think this would be true. I think about Mrs. Gregory every single day. If I see a pink sky, she's the first one that comes to my mind. Mrs. Gregory was really an amazing woman, and I wish more people would've gotten to know her amazing ways.