As I write this, I am currently being kidnapped by my own wiser judgement. I am in a car that is set to drive the next fourteen hours towards Indiana; a state I have never been to; with a friend I could never say no to. Two hours prior to the beginning of this little misadventure, not even the driver herself was aware of these plans. However, when the moment struck and my dear friend’s father alerted her of the necessity of her making it back home to Indiana as soon as possible; I caught my voice volunteering as a road-trip buddy before my mind began to fathom what was going on. Now, hours later, I find myself jammed in the passenger seat of her car with a sadly packed overnight bag; jamming out to old One Direction songs as we navigate through five am Ohio traffic. I left my weekly planner, appointment book and laptop behind, and instead, began to focus upon the present future, and how existing in the moment allowed me to realize how beautiful the world is in it’s sudden and unplanned splendor.

So, if you are anything like me, this story has had you cringing the entire paragraph so far, hasn’t it? Agreed. Although living for adventure, the bustling lifestyle of college has taught me how to over-organize my lifestyle. If you don’t believe me, ask my google calendar, desk calendar, and portable planner; they all are on the same, obnoxious page. I began to live within the realm of planned spontaneity. If someone asked me to live freely in the moment of the now, I’d have to admit that I would have to check my schedule first in order to make sure I was available! Of course I am not stating that organized living is a negative way of life; however, driving through our beautiful country by the illumination of sunrise has allowed me to see the world from a different perspective. By taking in each moment as it comes, without knowledge of what is to come next, I began to appreciate the feeling of accepting that, with faith, life is a genuinely beautiful experience. By not micromanaging my entire life, and allowing myself to take a breath from the hustling lifestyle of college, I had the opportunity to realize how beautiful it is to drive through Pennsylvania and shrink under the monstrous mountains that towered over our car like gods. Most importantly, I had the opportunity to realize that, no matter what, the importance of friendship is beyond the boundaries of any personal success story; and that maybe the beauty of having a friend to laugh with at the odd hours of the night is just as valuable as being timely and perfecting one’s own goals.

If one could reduce life to a few items, how many of us would include the mundane lunch meetings we scheduled with potential resources for employment? The irrelevancy of our relevant lives seems to have surpassed our own understanding, and we have begun to focus on the destinations of life, rather than the journey itself. Of course, such planning is beyond importance, but I am just beginning to realize how easy it is to focus on the little things in life and quickly lose sight of the bigger picture. More important than any successful career is the ability to state that, despite all that the world had thrown at you, you were able to stand up against it and say proudly that you lived fully and beautifully; allowing yourself to laugh and live in even the darkest of times. The impact that we have on each other is immeasurable, and it seems to be just as much of an accomplishment to state that you were there for your loved ones when life got difficult; as when life gets difficult for you, you can proudly conclude that you will never stand alone.

So, although I wouldn’t necessary call my life ideal right now, as I sit in the same position that I have for the past eight hours, I can now muse upon my life and say that, despite it all, I am pretty darn blessed.