When I think about saying goodbye, I think about the plane ride home from a vacation. You weren’t there for a long time, but you find yourself missing all the people and places you got to see. However, there’s always that one sentimental rock (that kind of looks like Danny Devito if you tilt your head to the left) you take home that reminds you about that vacation; a little parting gift that lets you accept the fact that you have to leave. 

     That being said, I like to think of this letter as my Danny Devito rock. This is my little reminder about Mililani High School, and all that it’s done for me. 

     Of course I am grateful for many people: family, friends, that one chicken I saw everywhere on campus. Without trying to put too much communist propaganda into this letter, I believe that humans share a collective spirit, that we all rely on the mysterious, intricate workings of fate and relationships in order to survive. I’m grateful that I found these relationships, and extremely fortunate to have met great classmates and teachers who let me become the person I am today. I also survived, which is pretty rad.

     Now we’re about to graduate and move on with our lives. I would like to say it could’ve ended on better terms, but I’m excited that it’s ending. My mom told me that I’m not allowed to get emotional about graduation, so for legal reasons I’ll tell you about the future instead. This isn’t a farewell; it’s just a new hello. Life is just a cycle of biting into a bittersweet departure, then washing away the taste with a fresh beginning, going on and on until one day the cycle stops. Holy cow, that was deep.

     Thus, now we say hello; to college (imagine a cute montage of your life starts playing), to happiness (flashback to a happy moment in your life), to upcoming tears (the emotional music kicks in), to new friends (the music is swelling now), and to life (cut back to the monologue.) I’m not sure about you, but that all makes me pretty pumped for the future. 

     So thank you, Mililani High School, for introducing us to this new adventure in our lives. Our plane has landed, we’re heading our separate ways. But we’re not leaving yet, we’re still smiling out at you from the airport window as we both head out on a new adventure. Can you see us? Can you see us waving?