In the summer of 2006, the summer before my freshmen year, I imagined that the transition from middle school to high school would be like The Lizzie McGuire Movie. I wanted to experience new things, new places, new adventures, and new cute boys, preferably Italian pop stars named Paulo. Although things never end up like the movies, I would say that my high school experience was satisfactory at least. Even if I didn’t get to perform as a famous singer in a stadium in Rome, I still had a lot of experiences and memories I won’t forget.

     I went to every single CP football game in the past four seasons , I got to be in a parade at Disney world, I jumped off a bridge, I got asked to homecoming, I got ditched at homecoming, I got to be a blonde, brunette, and redhead, I danced to metal shop with reckless abandon, I ran around the catwalk in the PAC, I pulled an all-nighter studying and still failed the test, I post-it noted a truck, I was chased around a theme park by a mascot, I went jogging around the empty school at midnight (with a soft j), I wore a snuggie in public and at school, I spent 3 hours one night sitting at Mama Fu’s, I went to midnight movie premieres dressed up, I stayed up all night, I cut my own hair and some of my friends, I was cheered on by a crowd of people, I was booed by a crowd of people, I participated in tuba time every A day, I got to be on TV, I drove through a hailstorm,  I helped found theme Thursday, I stage dived, I spent endless hours on the lake, I snuck into rated R movies, I snorkeled, I slept all night on a trampoline, I was thrown several surprise parties, none of which I knew about, I flew a kite on the beach, I stopped caring what everyone thought, and I tie dyed every piece of white clothing I owned.

     I rode my first roller coaster, I went on my first legit date, I attended my first prom, I had my first police encounter (I was innocent!), I went to my first music festival, I tried vegan food for the first time, I had my first car accident (and then some) I left the country for the first time, I went to my first Broadway play, I won my first toy out of those impossible crane games, I got my first job and my first car , I had my first off period, I skipped my first class, I had my first road trip, I rode in my first limo, and I learned how to stare straight into a camera and deliver the cliché line “remember to make it a great day, or not, the choice is yours” to the whole school.

     I learned how to actually read books instead of sparknoting, I learned practice doesn’t make perfect, I learned football games are a million times more fun if you do the t-wolf rumble, I learned getting ready for school in ten minutes is much better than waking up early, I learned how to adequately facebook stalk,  I learned skipping class is a frightening as it is fun,  I learned watching Scrubs instead of doing science class work is a much more fun way to spend my time, I learned how to do the Souljia Boy, Stanky Leg, and Cupid Shuffle, I learned how to pursue happiness, I learned how to read a teleprompter (yeah, it’s hard), I learned true friends will still love you even when you have an eye infection, I learned about what goes on in the monkey video (thanks coach), and of course, how to write a flawless senior thesis paper.

     Looking back on it, aspiring to be like a girl on a Disney channel series is ridiculous, because everyone’s high school experience is different and what you make it.

     Besides, Paulo wasn’t even that cute anyways.