Mailllllll. (Did that seem Blue's Clues-ish, or no?)

This week, I ended a major part of my life: I quit my internship at VYPE High School Sports magazine. There were several reasons behind this decision, the main one being my hectic schedule. It was becoming more and more stressful, and when writing my articles seemed more like a hassle than a privilege, I knew it was over. Plus, I just couldn't bring myself to care about high school anymore, and I had never entertained an interest in sports. So, after over a year of gaining wonderful journalistic experience, I terminated my internship. 

While it is a relief to have more time to focus on the million other things I have going on, I feel... weird. Having both yearbook and the magazine out of my life completely is not something for which I was really prepared, and it scared me a little. I have always had writing in my life, and I have spent the past three years pouring my heart and soul into journalism. What could I possibly do without it? Sure, I have this blog as a writing outlet, but I have always written for a publication bigger than myself. I was a part of something, and it felt like I couldn't be a part of that world anymore. 

With all of those panicked thoughts whirling around in my head, I checked my mailbox today. After thumbing through bills and catalogs to find an envelope from Scholastic addressed to me, I opened it despite my assumptions that it was some sort of spam mail. Imagine my surprise as I read that I had been awarded an honorable mention in the Scholastic Art and Writing competition! Vague memories of uploading a rough draft to their website surfaced, though I never paid the registration fee to enter the contest. Apparently, I somehow managed to be a contestant anyway? 

This news could not have come at a better time. I realized that it is possible for me to participate in the writing competitions that have been such a large part of my high school years, even though I am no longer a member of a public school publication. I feel whole again... and now I'm done being melodramatic. :D