December 21 - the date the Mayan calendar predicted the world would end - is quickly approaching us. As the date comes closer, more and more people are trying to cram in everything they want to do before the world explodes.

People who truly believe the world is ending are trying to repair hurt friendships, let everyone know how they feel and just make the most of the time they (supposedly) have left.

I think that’s the way everyone should live all the time, regardless of how long they actually have left. You only go through high school (or anything in life) once; why not make the most of it?

I really regret not doing that for most of my time spent in high school. I’ve always wanted to be in the musical or One Act or anything having to do with theater (crew, not acting, since unfortunately I can’t sing or act) and I’ve never had the chance to do it before since I’ve always been swimming.

But now that I’m taking some time off to get healthy, I realize how much I’ve been missing out on. I always wanted to go to practice, always blew off my friends to go swim, but I didn’t have that healthy balance between practice and a social life. My life revolved around swimming, I never took much time to hang out with my friends and when I did, I was always exhausted.

Now that I can take a step back and see what I’ve really been missing, I love it. I have the time now to focus on my studies and still be able to just go out and have fun with my friends on a Thursday night after timing at the boy’s swim meets. Before, I wouldn’t have even been able to go to the meets, let alone go out to eat afterwards. I would have been cramming in some homework before practice, then going to practice, then back home for more homework.

And while I miss swimming like crazy and would do anything to go back, actually being able to live out my senior year is nice. I’m taking the opportunity to use what little time I have left with all my friends to spend as much time with them as possible.

Everything happens for a reason and when those obstacles are thrown at you, the only thing you can do is change paths and try to see what you’re doing wrong. My first three years of high school were identical - school and practice - but senior year, the one that’s supposed to be great, the one you remember, is definitely shaping up to be the year I will remember.

The saying is “senior year, no regrets” so I’m planning on sticking to that. I’m not planning on using it as an excuse to do stupid things, but instead to really live my life every day like the world is really going to end.