Ten Years

It seems like everyone is finishing up school this week (except in Massachusetts where the snow days are going to keep every one in school for another month – I won’t pretend I’m sad to be missing this).

I finished high school ten years ago, which is sort of blowing my mind.

I actually didn’t graduate from high school, thanks to doing a combination of home school and public school, and I remember some of my friends saying, “You don’t get to walk at graduation? Don’t you. . .want to walk?”

Frankly, walking at graduation wasn’t at all high on my list of things to do, and it didn’t bother me at all not to get to participate. (I didn’t even walk when I graduated from BYU because I’d already moved to Texas). I didn’t regret it then and I certainly am not looking back on my life thus far and thinking, “If only I’d gotten to walk across a little pop-up podium at the Thomas & Mack.”

Sometimes it seems like your high school experience has to fall into one of two categories. You either hated every minute of it and couldn’t wait to escape or you loved high school and it was the peak of your life, happiness-wise. Mine was much more average – I really liked high school a lot most of the time. I had a great time, but I was also excited to move on to college and a new phase of life.

Part of me looks at these pictures from my senior year and thinks, “I’m still about this same age, no?” and in other ways, this feels a million lifetimes ago.

I got my braces off at the end of my junior year and thus I have more picture I don’t hate from my senior year than the rest of my high school experience combined. Someday when I’m feeling not-vain (aka never) I’ll share some of the more unfortunate ones.

Giant Speech and Debate nerd right here. My mom convinced me to do it my senior year and it was pretty much the most terrifying prospect of my life. And then I ended up loving it (you were right, Mom!).

Goofing around with Merrick.

More Speech and Debate. What, you didn’t wear a suit in high school? I’m sad for you.
Christmas morning. My parents sold this house and moved to a new one a couple of miles away just six weeks or so before I graduated from high school. The majority of my childhood memories are in this house and it’s so weird to me that Bart’s never even been inside. Also, I’m looking at this picture and realizing how small it was for the first time in my life. It always seemed pretty good-sized to me. Also, that little guy in glasses? Graduates as valedictorian this week. I am old.

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16 Comments

  1. Whoa. Small Nevada world! I totally know a guy who went to your high school, but we graduated many years before you did, young 'un.

    Happy 10 years!

  2. It is just insaaaaane to me how fast time goes by. I graduated from college 10 years ago and I can hardly believe it!

  3. Ah I remember when you guys lived in our neighborhood! My parents recently moved as well. So weird driving by that place now!

  4. It's been almost 10 years for me too! I still felt like I was the same as my 18 year old self until I found my old favorite pair of jeans from 12th grade and tried to stuff myself in to them…it was a harsh reality…

  5. That's so funny I went to Foothill graduated in 2005 and was on the debate team too! I did expos and loved it. Love your blog!

  6. National Forensic League member right here! See? All the cool kids did speech and debate in high school. 🙂

  7. I graduated from high school 11 years ago this month and I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes I still dream about dance team practice or not having a hall pass, and sometimes I can't even remember what it was like or the classes I took. They tore my high school down a few years ago–something I didn't know until I drove by when visiting my parents one Christmas break–and I was oddly shocked and sad to see a bare field where so many memories had been made.

  8. Ahhh you guys were so cute as high schoolers! You still look the same, but more.. polished? mature? wise? pretty? I shudder to think of my high school year photos.

  9. I haven't been out 10 years yet (soon!) but I have to agree with your assessment of high school – it was mostly fun, and I enjoyed it. BUT I've enjoyed life after high school even more. I hope that trend continues 🙂

  10. You haven't changed a bit! I remember that old house! I remember when you mom was my seminary teacher and we came over to do a three course candle lit dinner for her and your dad. You and merrick helped and were little waitresses. Do you remember that? Ages ago!! I always loved your family.

  11. I feel like I am a totally different person from who I was in high school — but I look basically the same. How does that work? I want to look as cool as I feel I am now (since I was kind of a loser in high school). 🙂

  12. Aw! Love the old pictures! I can't believe that I graduated six years ago! Ugh I remember it like it was yesterday!! High school was just average for me too. Not the worst but not the best. I never really had a high school to call my own because I moved so much. I went the three different high schools so…

  13. Your brother is valedictorian and you didn't even graduate. That's quite the contrast.

    I hated high school. I regularly have nightmares that I'm in high school again.

  14. You are the same age as my sister. She graduated ten years ago too. It seemed like after my ten-year high school anniversary the ten-year anniversaries really started piling up: 10 years since I went to London study aboard, ten years since I graduated from college, soon it'll be ten years since I finished my Masters. I must be getting old. High school for me had great bits and awful bits, just like most things in life.

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