As a girl, I find it extremely important to find that perfect dress, whether it’s for junior prom, senior ball, or even sophomore banquet.

I’m not quite sure what it is, but finding the perfect dress can make a girl feel magical. Something about putting on a dress she absolutely loves can make a girl feel truly beautiful about herself.

Last year, I didn’t find the perfect dress for junior prom, and I ended up not going. No – that wasn’t the only reason I didn’t go, but if I’d found my perfect dress, I wouldn’t hesitate to attend prom just to show it off.

Most girls know exactly what kind of dress they want – down to every detail.

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping for a dress to wear to my senior ball. I’ve been through hundreds of pages of dresses from various shops. I had a pretty good idea of a dress I wanted.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to buy the first dress I fell in love with. It was exactly what I was looking for, but sadly, it was too expensive and shipping would take too long.

A part of my heart broke when I realized I couldn’t buy it. I didn’t even want to go to senior ball anymore.

Weeks later, I found another dress on a site my friend showed me. It was completely different from my first dress choice, but I fell in love with it and barely gave another thought to that old first-choice dress.

I got it. You shouldn’t give up just because your first choice falls apart.

This lesson can apply to anything, like that favorite subject of all seniors: college. Sometimes, as much as you fall in love with it, your first choice is just too expensive and, therefore, not a good fit for you. Then, you’re forced to find another school, which might be just what you never knew you wanted.

It’s important to keep an open mind and to not be afraid of different things. You might find a great opportunity at a place you’d never thought of looking.

Sometimes plan A won’t succeed, and you’ll have to move on to plan B or plan C. Sometimes you have to go through the entire alphabet in order to reach your destination.

The important thing is to never give up. Keep an open mind and remember that success can’t be truly understood until one has experienced failure.

Don’t believe me? Wait until you see how happy I am in my second-choice dress!