The first was the best.

my first period was pretty uneventful. i was 12 1/2 and school had just ended about 2 weeks earlier [thankfully!]. both my mom and sis had started at 12, so i started carrying pads w/ me right after i turned 12 just to be prepared.
earlier that day i felt strange...had my first hot flash of sorts and felt crampy towards the end of the night [didn't realize they were cramps at the time]. a few hrs later [midnight], i got up to use the bathroom and saw one little drop of what i thought was blood. i tried calling my mom [who was asleep], and then called my older sister who confirmed it was my period. it didn't really do much until noon though and my mom showed me how to put on a pad. she had a much more subdued reaction than i expected [but still called everyone to tell them i'd started...yay lol]. what i remember most vividly was after my mom told my dad that i'd started and i went in to see him, he just held me and had a very sad face. [i'm the youngest, the daddy's girl of the family, so i think he had to face the fact that i was really growing up].
honestly, that first period was the "best" one i've had. it was the only one where i had no cramps [besides the few before i started]and it only lasted 2 days. i'd take that over the painful, 6-7 day ones i've had for the past 9.5 years lol.