Moving Senior Year

       The hardest part was having to keep it all a secret. With my dad being a pastor, we couldn't say anything about the move until it was for sure going to happen. We had lived there for thirteen and a half years, which is a long time for a pastor, and felt like it was time to move on. When my parents told us that moving was becoming an idea, my brother and I wanted to wait until the next school year was over. After a week with the idea, I felt like it would be better sooner. I hated having to keep it all on the down low. With it being my senior year too, once we knew where we were going, I was already starting to really slack in my classes to the point where my teachers would ask what was going on. My teachers were the first people I told. I told them that I couldn't say where, but I could say that I was moving.
       It was even harder for me at my last football game in the band. I loved playing the quints (the five drums for those who don't know) and being in the percussion. It was so hard that before we even got to pre-game, I had slipped to one of my best friends in the color guard. We both cried and then helped each other calm down so that no one else would see what was going on and ask questions. For the rest of the night, while we weren't performing, I would talk to her about it and she would help me to not say a word to anyone else. The band teacher would also try helping me calm down and even cover for me if someone did start to ask questions. I remember like it was yesterday, walking back to the parking lot after the game.
        I wanted to have a goodbye party before I left, so I had to figure out how to make invitations for a party that I couldn't tell anyone the reason behind it. I ended up just putting the time and place on there and as I handed them out, I would tell each person that it was really important that they be there and that they would know what was going on in a few days (on my last day at school).
       When the last day came, I tried to think of how I was going to get the word around to everyone that it was my last day. Being a school, it's really not hard to get a word around, so I put a sign on my backpack saying Today is my last day, I'm moving to Michigan. The first person I told, before classes started, was my cross country coach. I turned in my uniform and said my goodbyes. I then went to my locker to strip down all of my decorations. When I had decorated it I knew it wouldn't be up long but I loved to decorated my locker and if I didn't, my friends would've known something was up. I then headed to the main office to tell them about it, and when I had left, another best friend of mine came from the office asking me to tell him it wasn't true. When I turned to see who it was, I started crying. I didn't want him to find out by my backpack. I wanted to tell him myself. We hugged it out and said we would get together at lunch for sure! Throughout the rest of the day, I was trying to find all my friends and have them come to the party. It was a very emotional day for me and my friends.
       It was also hard telling my church family. There was a meeting that night and my dad wanted me to come along since I would be leaving early for school. I was doing great until my dad started to say that we had a matter to discuss. I began bawling and everyone looked at me with concern. I tried to explain myself when I got the ok from dad, but I couldn't do it. So my dad had to break the news to the committee that we were planning to move soon and that I would be leaving Sunday afternoon. Everyone was feeling very sad and some began to cry with me. We loved everyone there, but it was our time to move on.
       Saturday night was my goodbye party and the turn out was great. People would come and go as they pleased. We played games as my dad took people to the porch to make a goodbye video for me to watch later. We all had a great time and shared a lot of laughs. The later it got, the more people had to get home and say their final goodbyes. Three stayed with me until 2:30 in the morning because they didn't want to go and say goodbye. My parents were already in bed, so we had to be quiet. I took them to my favorite place of the house for our last moments together, the roof outside my bedroom window. We sat out there and looked at the stars while we talked about memories we hope we would never forget. When it came to be time to say goodbye, we shared tears and really long hugs. I would even walk them to their cars so that no second was lost. We have managed to stay in touch through facebook and have been able to cross each others paths again through my visits back to see Blake and through my engagement. So it's a happy ending in the long run. :)
       Sunday was my last day in the town and church I grew up in. I said my goodbye to the congregation by singing my first solo with my twelve string "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson and got a standing ovation. After the service, everyone was invited to El Charro for lunch and final goodbyes. I was glad that I got to talk to everyone before it was time for us to scoot. I grabbed my last minute items that had not yet been packed, got in the car, and was off to the airport. My phone was blowing up with I Miss You's and Have A Safe Flight! It was even blowing up still when I arrived in Michigan at midnight (11 pm their time cause now a time change was involved). I am glad that we are all still in touch with one another after all this time!