Dear Senior Year Spring Semester,

I can honestly say I’m primarily annoyed that I have to be writing this letter to you, as you were not supposed to come so quickly. I could sit and brandish my finger in the air, wishing for more time in my college career, shout some expletives in disbelief that my chapter is coming to an end, or sulk while reminiscing, knowing the years went by all too quickly. Instead, I want to make aware some of the requests I have for you for when we cross paths in the near future. There are a few wishes I hope you will honor before I cross that stage on graduation day.

I hope you continue to teach me about the friendships I have built over these past four years and remind me that true friends can often be hard to come by. How lucky am I to have a plethora of incredible humans that would be at my side in a second? I hope you continue to demonstrate that sometimes the relationships you expect to last just simply don’t, and that is okay, because on the other hand, there are some incredible people I never expected to cross paths with. These people have impacted my life in more ways than one, and yet, it all came out of utter surprise and impeccable timing. Please keep doing that. Please keep showing me that life has these crazy ways of exposing you to people when you need them most, and that their purpose in your life may not always be for the long haul, but it is always to teach you something.

Continue to show me that the world is my oyster, and that with every day comes a new opportunity to seize. Trusting the process can be so very difficult, but it has brought the most magnificent surprises. I hope that this semester is one without too many wishes and instead, one filled with unexpected happenings. A semester of just living, instead of creating a long list of items that I hope are fulfilled. Maybe that will come in the form of a job offer, a graduate school acceptance, some great nights out, or little moments with friends that I will surely miss once I cross that stage in May. Whatever it may be, I’ll be sure to be grateful for it.

I’ve made my fair share of mistakes over these past four years, probably more than I can count, but somehow, I’m still doing okay. While I'm most definitely not wishing for this final lap to be composed of mistake after mistake, I have faith in you that if I end up hitting a hiccup, that you will spit me right back out where I’ll need to be. There may be some tears shed or frustration inside my bones, but deep down, I know there is something to be taken away from these moments. There are always lessons to be learned, and the sooner I learn to understand that each obstacle breeds opportunity for knowledge, the better off I will be.

I know that time doesn’t slow down for anyone, but I beg of you to not let this final lap slip away. It doesn’t seem fair to be staring my final four months right in the face, but when I look back on every single moment I’ve had during my undergraduate experience, I realize how lucky I am. For the friends, the laughs, the cheap beer, the football games, the nights we were out a little too late, the overwhelming nature of classes or finals, the hangovers, the athletics, the one too many orders of takeout, just everything. I would not trade it for the world, but I would rewind to day one in a heartbeat. So please, I ask you with all of my heart, slow down and let me embrace it all. Never let me underestimate how truly incredible these four years have been in allowing me to grow, exposing me to the people who will be in my life for the long haul, and placing an institution in my life that will forever be my home.

More than appreciated,

Danielle