The Last 17 Days: The End

I have 3 1/2 hours left to be 17...that's it. I don't know whether to tell you that this is the happiest day of my life or the sad day of my life, but it really is that huge. These feelings...it's incredible. 18 could never be the same...nor could any other year, for that matter. These last 17 days have been amazing, let's take a look at what's happened:

• 1/31 - Downloaded Sleeping At Last's "Yearbook - February" EP. I'm loving those guys.
• 2/2 - My first Davis Youth Symphony concert as the viola section leader.
• 2/4 - Went on missionary splits for the first time, definitely one of the most spiritual moments of my life.
• 2/6 - Received my patriarchal blessing on paper
• 2/7 - turned in my revised IB Extended Essay (4,000 words) for the next-to final time
• 2/8 - Named a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. There's 15,000 across the nation...that's about .oo5% of U.S. high school seniors. Also received two full-ride scholarships. I'm extremely grateful.
• 2/10 - Went to the BHS choir concert with an amazing girl. The concert blew my mind!
• 2/11 - Made first chair violist in the BHS orchestra once again
• 2/12 - Went to the Sweethearts' dance, one of the funnest dates I've ever been on, with an incredible girl and great friends.
• 2/13 - The number 17 inspired me into bearing my testimony in my sacrament meeting; I also beat Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
• 2/14 - Finally tracked down the first Lydia album, something I've been searching nine months for. With it, I hit 4735 songs on iTunes and was surprised to find out that I now have more songs than my dad, the music master himself. I also hit 17 blog followers with the help of this post series.
• 2/15 - Watched BHS take out WX yet again (We were tied at 17!)
• 2/16 - Snowstorm! Just in time for my birthday! I kept telling everyone I wanted snow on my birthday...what a blessing.
• The number 17 has showed up so many times! It's ridiculous! Some of my friends have even been keeping an eye out for the number in their own lives, letting me know all about each encounter.

There's probably more I'm forgetting right now, but yeah...lots to smile about. I'd now like to mention a few things that didn't make into any of the lists for various reasons. They need a place here.

• TV Shows: Survivor, Dexter's Lab, Stargate: Atlantis, Stargate: Universe, Firefly, Wipeout, Firefly
• Music Artists: Sia, Zero 7, Lamb, Imogen Heap, Oceanlab
• People: my mom, dad, sisters, puppy(!!!), grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins...I have so much to thank them for.

Haha, my phone just reminded me about an appointment...my birthday! What a handy phone that is! So here I am, the last few moments of 17. Have I cried about it? Yes, actually...it really sucks to have to let this go. Here's what I've learned about who I am at 17:

• I am passionate, but extremely hesitant to show it.
• I am driven by music. It's in my mind, in my heart, in my dreams, in my future. It is everything right now.
• I am full of imagination and creativity. I love exploring others' ideas and I'm extremely passionate about my own ideas.
• I am thrilled to live righteously. I've sorted things out in my life and I'm ready to let my spirit take me where it wants me to go.
• I honestly don't want to go to college: music and writing are where I belong. They are what I truly aspire to.
• The thing I want the most right now: to fall in love. There, I said it. I cannot wait until that day...
• I am thankful for every little thing that has put me where I am today. I realize that I have great potential. I know that I am fortunate. I am ready to take advantage of it.

And where will life lead me next? Well...we'll leave that for another post. This is me saying goodbye as a 17-year-old for the last time...as I listen to 18 by Moby; I guess that's a good sign. For those of you who have kept up: I could never thank you enough. To be with me in this moment is truly special cause I don't see myself ever feeling quite this way ever again. I don't go on if people don't care. To quote the song I'm listening to right now: "We are still far from over." Thank you 17, for everything. Goodbye.