The Snowflake's Strategy

                As the world braves the Arctic Vortex, millions across the Northern Hemisphere gravitate towards the warmth and comfort of their homes.  Yet, despite the freezing temperatures, two small children decide to brave the weather and play amongst the small White Mountains formed the day before.  Together, they each grab a handful of falling, glistening crystals, but a few escape from the grasp of their woolen mittens.  As each snowflake slowly moves away from the two, disappearing towards the ground or carried away by the howling wind into oblivion, so do my days as a senior escape my grasp.

                Today, there is a little more than 6 months of my high school career left.  As the days dwindle, the inevitable becomes a scary thought considering I’ve been in my school for the past seven years (since 6^th grade); I don’t remember attending any other educational institution or know what to expect once I leave these crowded halls.  With this in mind, when I was asked in Advisory to pick one word that would describe my remaining days as a senior, only one word came to mind, strategy. 

                Growing up, I was never one of those little girls who played dress up or attempted to run around in my mother’s heels (she would have killed me!).  Instead, I would sit around my living room and write or complete a puzzle.  Through it all, I always had a strategy, whether it was an outline or organizing my puzzle pieces before I began to avoid frustration.  In a way, that need to plan and organize has always resonated with me.

                Recently, I've received some scholarship offers from all the schools I’ve applied to, except one.  However, none of them cover full tuition, only two-thirds.  So, as June approaches, strategy is definitely something that is going to be on the top of my agenda as I work on choosing which one I want to attend and negotiating with Admissions counselors for as close to full tuition as possible.  Which school would I rather attend, the one that I have to pay for with full tuition out of pocket or the one that comes out to $9,000 a year?  How much should I pay for my education?  These are all scary thoughts and questions I have no response for.  It seems like I have a lot of planning to do.

                As I sit here in class typing away and reflecting, I realize that I am that snowflake in the child’s fingers, slowly slipping away; I have no idea where I will travel on my journey, I just know the end, the floor, or in this case, Graduation.  In a way, we are all snowflakes drifting through the frigid air; it doesn't matter what word we choose to describe our lives in the future, where we go in our lives is a mystery.  However, for me at least, strategy will help me on that journey, making it less tedious than it needs to be.

                What will help your snowflake on its journey?