Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.

Time is a noiseless rasp that wears and tears you. In a couple of weeks, I will be done with high school and go. Looking back to the past three years, I realise great changes have become of me in many aspects.

I used to be shy and timid, but now I can talk to strangers unabashed.

I used to be as thin as a rake, but I have put on 10 kilos for the past three years.

I used to be the youngest family member in the clan, but now I have two one-year-old nephews.

I used to dread cycling, but now I can bike like the wind.

I used to be a phone potato and a TikTok addict, but now I have become a bookworm.

I used to be one of the lowest achievers in my class, but I am able to grab a first in an exam from time to time.

I used to be cold-blooded to those under the same roof, but now I could not care more about the loved ones.

I used to have a deskmate, who was strangled by her insane mother when school went online for the second time in 2021, but now weed has run rampant all over her tomb.

I used to gift a boy a small piece of cake, but now I know he does not deserve my affection.

I used to be a bellyacher, but I look on the bright side.

I used to fear being alone, but now I take solitude as an indispensable part of my being.

My brief yet rich high school journey will come to an end in two weeks. As Einstein pointed out, not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted truly counts. In the coming post-high school years, I will hold on to the initial dream, leave regrets behind, and go in for the ultimate goal and a bright future.