List: Things that made my heart soar today

(Today being the evening of the art exhibition and the 9 hours before that in which we set up everything.)

• How much fun I had actually setting everything up!
• Bonding with other artists from school
• Seeing all my paintings put together so beautifully and the subsequent pride in my work
• Getting complimented on my outfit which was basically everything anyone would expect it to be (AKA, pink, lacy and girly)
• The incredible turn out! I mean, what?! We were expecting a lot of people to come by but…not the way they did! Not in the sheer numbers that we actually received! And not the kind of enthusiasm the crowd brought with them! I mean…just, wow. Honestly, so much love to everyone who visited. I seriously appreciated it, and I know everyone else did too.
• The way people asked QUESTIONS about my paintings, beyond just looking at the descriptions, let alone glancing once and then being on their way. Getting asked about my inspiration, the media used, the methods…wow, just people showing their genuine interest…
• …and the appreciation that came with it! The compliments and all the love and the way people would get excited with my own excitement about the paintings and the thought that went behind them!
• …and everyone that actually got to learn a little bit about space through my paintings too! I mean, come on, that’s incredible.
• Meeting a Nerdfighter! Yes!
• The wonderful man who had a long discussion with me about my paintings, science, religion and art, about my school life, my goals, the way I described my paintings in the placards, and then just – on top of the incredible conversation, which was more than awesome as is – sprinkled my day with pink, well, sprinkles, by saying how he was so impressed by my articulation at 17, by my talent and maturity and how he wanted to pay “his compliments to my parents for raising me as they did.” That’s honestly the best compliment anyone could give me.
• My wonderful teachers who gushed about me to their families.
• Other things I’ve forgotten but the best part?
• The one lady who recognized me/my name from the TEDx event and brought up my TEDx talk and told me how much she absolutely loved my talk and asked how I got the idea and basically let me dissolve into a puddle of squealing as I explained it.

So yeah. My feet are throbbing, my voice is next to nonexistent, and my throat feels like its on fire, but today was honestly one of the best evenings of my life. I’ve rarely ever been this exhausted but it was worth it.

Again, thank you, EVERYONE who was there – my friends, my family, everyone else – because without you, this event would have been nothing. Thank you for all the support. I love you all dearly. I said this to Lara, but I need to reiterate this here as well – there’s only a couple months left till I graduate high school…and now? The thought that I was ready to leave school after Year 12 seems ridiculous. Year 13 has been worth it. I don’t regret my decision to stay for a second.