Hello. This is Maya. The actual Maya. I am now 18 years old, and today is the day I got my first driver's license. I put it off long enough.
I know this is a considerable jump from the last post by my dad, but I didn't realize I had this blog (which is probably a good thing because heaven only knows what cringy stuff I would have written). But it stands to reason that I should catch you up on what has happened in my life since 2013.
2014: I turned ten this year and had an Elsa birthday party, which was a terrible decision because it is a tradition on my mom's side to through a super big party for someone's tenth birthday. This occasion is accompanied by a paper crown made by my nana and a terribly embarrassing video made by my lito. So, pictures of me in my homemade Elsa get-up are memorialized for all my family to see. Also, for my birthday party with my friends, I had an Ice cream cake because 'frozen,' and I discovered that I did not like Ice cream cake.
2015: during this year, I got a very memorable injury. The story as I remember it starts out with me and grandma in the kitchen. She was deep frying vegetables ( I don't know the reason for this) and using tongs to slowly lower them into the hot oil. Unfortunately, Grandma's hand slipped during this process, and the tongs splashed into the oil. The rest is how you'd expect. I run to the sink in pain, and then my dad comes running into the kitchen. After the initial shock subsided, I remember the pain setting in. It felt like the oil was melting through my face in freckle-sized dots. I remember being really scared. But I also remember hoping it would leave a little bit of a mark because I thought it would look cool. Flash forward: it didn't.
2016: I faced a lot of change during this year. I switched from my elementary school to an international baccalaureate program that went from sixth to twelfth grade. This program was embedded in a regular high school. If I were to go into detail about everything that happened this year, it would take a year to write, so I won't. To summarize: I did not have fun.
2017: The hell continues this year but with a new, never-before-imagined twist: I got my first boyfriend! This, unfortunately, also did not go very well. I actually cherish the memory of the breakup. This may seem cruel, but I had never felt so free. I remember feeling like I was floating after I walked away. I never once regretted anything, even though all my friends tried their darndest to make me.
2018: I yet again changed schools this year. This was my first year in high school, but it didn't feel like it since I had been in a high school for the past two years. A distinct memory I have from this year is the lunches. I had people to eat lunch with most of the year, but there were days that I couldn't find them, and I had to eat alone. I actually liked this. My favorite part was when I was done eating, and I would walk to my next class, which was P.E. while listening to an audiobook. I thought this was so cool because I had a whole world playing out in my imagination that was unbeknown to everyone around me. It made me feel above my loneliness.
2019: I only have a few memories from this year. This was the first year I took physics, which became my favorite class. I also reconnected with a friend from my hell school this year. She and I had a math class together. She was not very good at math, but she was a good student who wanted to learn.
2020: Everyone knows what happened this year. No need to beat a dead horse.
2021: I returned to school this year at the end of my junior year. When I went back to school, everything was different. I really didn't like it. But I formed some of my most cherished memories this year. Honestly, the second half of this year is the more important half.
2022: My senior year! This was my best year in high school. This is the case for a few reasons and one crucial reason. I started dating my current boyfriend this year. We bonded on our faith which is one of the most vital foundations you can have for a relationship. He made this year incredible. He also drove me home for most of this year, which was a great help because I couldn't drive myself. This brings us nicely back to the start of this post...
I got my driver's license. I am still not ready to drive independently, but I am relieved to finally have it. Hopefully, this will help me move closer to my adulthood.
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Thank you for reading, and thank you for waiting,
Maya Garcia
