Normalcy... Overrated?

This vacation has been sublime to say the least. It's so relaxing for this overachiever to chill out and worry about what's on on TV instead of what editor is going to get back to me and whether my chemistry teacher is going to give me a C. I've had time to sit back and think about what I'm doing, how I've done stuff...

I have accomplished so much already in my life. I have a great publishing resume, I have a 3.9 GPA, great extracurrics, yada yada. Yet when I remember the greatest memories of this year, and my high school career, they are...

Two homecomings and one Sadie Hawkins
Seeing Marie Antoinette and Eragon (two awful movies)
Vacations
Getting in Maria Schneider's blogroll
Doing Destination Imagination with my school
My BFFs birthday parties

With the exception of the WD thing, every one of those has taken place with my friends and my family doing "normal" teenage things. They are fantastic experiences, I could never tell you how much they meant and how good they were.

Yet I continually drive myself insane with pressure to write this and that, to finish my book (which I had due today), to get into certain schools, etc. The success is nice but it has not made me as happy as the other things have. What does that tell you?

It tells me that my object for the next eighteen months in high school, my last eighteen months in high school unless I flunk out (...?...) that my focus will not be the 4.0, will not be the publishing, will not be the success. I want-- I need--the focus to be on making friends, writing as a joy and not an obligation like it is now, on going to parties, on doing crazy things, and not rushing life. Florida is beautiful, there are no deadlines.

Normalcy? maybe my own version.