"The last night"

Since my last post exams have been over for about three weeks now, school is officially out and most importantly, last night we attended our year 12 formal.

Year 12 formal is officially the last night that the entire class of 2017 would be in the one room together and it is the night that most of us said goodbye to our friends, classmates and teachers before entering the big bad world or hopping on the roller-coaster that we call life (whatever corny line you wish to use).

In my opinion, formal was in fact a bittersweet night and not just because I wouldn’t be saying goodbye to the school, but because I would be saying goodbye to some of my friends. Sure, we’ll keep in touch, but who knows where our paths will take us. A lot can change in the course of a year, especially when we’re all headed in different directions. I say, what better way to say goodbye than to get all dressed up and party for six hours.

You see, for a lady such as myself, formal does not simply begin when you arrive at the venue. No no no, formal is a series of carefully planned out preparation leading up to the event. First, I got my nails all done up and then in the afternoon had a hair appointment. Us girls have been planning this night for months in advance so of course I had that dress and shoes laid out on my bed ready to put on when I got home. Completed the look with make up and accessories in just over an hour. Ready to head over to my best friend’s house to take pictures.

After taking pictures, from there we took her step-dad’s limousine along with three more of our closest friend’s. We drank Champaign (non-alcoholic because despite us all being of age, we weren’t allowed to enter the event intoxicated) which still tasted fabulous and we sung our hearts out to the prepared formal playlist.

By the way, it was my first time in a limmo but I felt like such a celebrity pulling up in front of that convention centre. The inside had lights and mirrors on the ceiling, complete with a sick sound system. We get out and more pictures were taken when we were joined by more friends and teachers. We waited in the lobby which soon became crowded with everyone chatting excitedly and admiring each other’s efforts to scrub up real good, as we waited for the curtains to open.

We entered the party room where fancy tables had been set up, balloons hovered in the ceiling and on the tables. Disco lights flashed across the room and at the front, a DJ had been set up at his booth. We had all been assigned seats with our friends which we had also planned ahead of time and so the night began.

We enjoyed a three-course meal which of course after the entre I was ready to quit. I mean who is able to eat a full piece of lasagne and then have room for a piece of chicken with vegetables? I was trying to save room for dessert which was individual platters of crème Brule, chocolate brownie and ice cream!

Between courses music played and we had dance intervals. It was a rather hot night to be honest and I had to step outside to get some fresh air or take a break a few times, at which time I would have lovely conversations with some of my favourite teachers.

The party really hit its peak once dessert was over and everyone was on the dancefloor for the last dance interval. Songs we’d grown up listening to mixed with the songs of 2017 made the whole night epic! It was what I imagined clubbing to be like minus the alcohol and drugs. Just too many sweaty people on the crowded dance floor with music blasting our ears off and us screaming at the top of our lungs. I think by the end of the night I was not only sweaty and exhausted but I temporarily lost my voice.

At the end of the night a wonderful presentation of every student’s baby photo followed by this year’s photo was shown to remind us all just how much we’d grown over the years. The presentation had us in hysterics as we tried to guess whose baby picture was whose and then find out what our friends sitting next to us had grown into. Another presentation followed of the years photos of events that occurred narrated by funny captions, reminding us all of the good times that would now simply become memories. Signed off with an encouraging message of good luck in the future.

The night ended with a speech by our principle during which she thanked us for the years we’d spent, for the people we’d become and wished us good luck once again for all our future endeavours. We fair-welled out teachers and classmates before we all either headed off to an after party, to lose our virginity (let’s be honest) or like me, to take a well-earned sleep that would last till 2:00pm the next day.

Have a lovely day! xx