As a senior in high school, it was that pivotal moment—the one where everyone hits you with the “you only live once” mantra, or insists, “you get just one shot, make it count.” It was the season of transformation, that uncertain phase of life where you’re teetering on the edge of adulthood. For some, it’s a whirlwind of internal battles—grappling with hormones, temptations, the looming future, college applications, and the pressures of figuring it all out. Others make the leap with ease, like slicing through a baked chocolate cake with vanilla icing; their days are a blur of parties, relationships, girls, sex, drugs, prom, and “living in the moment.” But mine? Mine was different. Not exactly ideal, but unforgettable. It was bittersweet, wrapped up in layers of sadness and resilience. The hardest period of my life.
Somehow, I survived it all. And here’s how it went down…