fall 2025
turning 17, chicago, and several bouts of senioritis...
I must start with an apology, long overdue. The last time I posted on this blog, the fall colors were just starting to make their annual appearance, I couldn’t yet claim that I was a senior in high school, and my sunglasses found a new home on the kitchen counter right by the front door.
Now, 4 months later, the trees are bare, I’m halfway done with my final year of high school, and the only clothing strewn across the kitchen floor are my winter hat and gloves that help me brave the cold Michigan winters.
However, my temporary disappearance from this blog is a testament to how busy these past few months have kept me. Not to vindicate my inexcusable lack of reflection, but balancing the academic rigor of senior year with college applications, my extracurricular activities, and making this year memorable with friends and those closest to me has been difficult to say the least. Now that I’m on winter break, I’m looking forward to taking sometime for relaxation and decompression while considering on how the high stress environment that came with autumn has tested and tried my ability to adapt to an ever-changing world.
Upon reflection, I think my experience could best be captured with a quote from psychologist Sigmund Freud: “One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.” Yes, it was difficult. Yes, there were times I contemplated giving up. And yes, I even occasionally questioned whether it would all be worth it.
Now, I am convinced that it will. I’ve put the effort in to making the future version of myself proud and that, itself, is a victory. The rest of it were just stops along the way — but those stops are worth noting as well. Without further ado …
Kicking off senior year has been one of the most surreal experiences of my life. I’ve had plenty of senior friends to warn me about what I could expect, but it is truly something that you can’t prepare for. The gravity of this year hit me on the very first day of school when I realized that I would never have a first day of school again, at least in terms of primary and secondary school. Nonetheless, armed with my Paw Patrol backpack, I braved through my emotions to start the school year off on a good note. The entire senior class commemorated this special moment with a group picture at the front of the school. We also followed tradition by hosting a senior sunrise at a local park — surprisingly, I didn’t shed a tear, but I got really close.
If my previous senior friends were right about one thing, it was that there is no transition period. As soon as our classes got started, we jumped straight in to learning new content from derivatives and integrals in calculus to case studies about South Africa and Haiti in history. I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t prepared, but I definitely wasn’t expecting such a fast-paced return to academics after the relaxing summer break. Before my case of senioritis reached a level of incurability, my family and I spent the Labor Day weekend at JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids. Some may call it retreat but I call it a well-deserved break. I treated myself to several helpings of dessert at the lounge and a fancy bubble bath accompanied by (way too early) Christmas music. Well-deserved and much-needed.
Thankfully, interludes like these were ubiquitous throughout the fall to distract me from the seemingly never-ending flow of coursework. Another exciting one was the homecoming dance and the Powderpuff flag football game that happened before it. Not only did the seniors dominate the juniors in the game, but our cheerleading crew cooked up with roaring cheers and a flawless half-time performance of “Bang Bang” by Jessie J. Homecoming was equally as fun, but also a little sad (rather, nostalgic) as it was our last one in high school. Most importantly, though, we found ways to make it memorable which is what truly matters :)
I also celebrated my 17th birthday this year. If these few months didn’t force me to reflect enough, my last year as a legal child absolutely did. To think that I will be in college at the same time next year, equipped with the right to vote, forced to become more independent and mature, baffles me. But such is life. My family and I celebrated this special day by going to my favorite breakfast spot, Wolfgang’s. 10/10.
October also brought the joys of being a not-yet-adult during Halloween. I figured that this was the last year I could justify going trick-or-treating in my never-ending search for candy and sweet treats. With this in mind, my friends and I took on the streets of our neighborhoods where I, being the cute penguin I am, collected a grand total of 134 pieces of candy — at least, as determined by my groggy, midnight counting capabilities.
Thankfully, the fun didn’t stop in October. For the Thanksgiving break, we decided to take a trip to Chicago, hitting up our favorite Brazilian steakhouse on the way there, Fogo De Chao. Apart from raiding the buffet and salad bar at Fogo and enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with my mom’s side of the family, I enjoyed driving for three and a half hours through a winter storm (this is called Midwest winter sarcasm). I also indulged in my favorite hobby of window shopping for Black Friday given how much enjoyment I get from seeing what all I could purchase in an alternate reality where my wallet was stuffed and my bank account was overflowing (more sarcasm, but not necessarily Midwest winter-specific). As salty as I may sound, it truly was fun. Truly.
Wow. As I write all of this, I realize how eventful these past few months have been and how quickly they have passed. Now, I’m ready to wrap up this semester of senior year and get prepared for one more semester before graduation. But, before that, winter break!
Cheers,
Krishna
Quotes of the Month:
You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions.
- The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 47I am not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.
- Michael Scott, The OfficePeople will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
- Maya Angelou
Songs of the Month:
Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan
Santeria by Sublime
My Sweet Lord by George Harrison
I Thought I Saw Your Face Today by She & Him
Promise by Laufey