I was sitting in my dorm room the other day when it hit me. I am in college. I know that sounds dumb, and I'm sure all of you are thinking, "Duh, of course we are." What I mean is that it really hit me that I am in college, and I am here forming my life, my career and ideally choosing the path that I want to take in my life.
College is such an amazing experience in which you can truly reinvent yourself. You get the chance to leave home and travel to a whole new place, whether it be five miles from your home where you grew up, or 500 miles away. You get the opportunity to meet a whole new group of individuals from all around the globe. You are no longer known as "that girl that wore those nerdy glasses in eighth grade." Nobody knows you, and you don't know anyone.
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College is a time when you start with a clean slate. For some, this is difficult; leaving high school where you were known for being the star on the cheerleading team and the president of five clubs to being just another face in the crowd. For others, it can be a chance to forget your past and truly open up and introduce yourself to new people who cannot judge you for who you used to be.
As I am sitting here writing this, I can't help but reflect on how much my life has changed since I have come to college. It's funny because although I don't see any huge changes in myself, people always come up to me and tell me how different I am. How I am no longer that shy girl that just stood in the back of the crowd. They tell me how much more outgoing and opinionated I am because I enjoy standing up for what I believe in.
I look back on old pictures from high school and realize that I don't talk to half of those people anymore. It's sad because I feel like when you graduate, you make a promise to all of your friends that you will never lose touch. That you will see each other everyday over every break. But soon, those words lose their meaning and eventually you can't even remember the last time you saw them.
I can't help but wonder about the people I used to know. I wonder if they are enjoying college as much as I am. I wonder if they are discovering their true passions and what they may want to do with their life. I just wonder how they are doing.
When I sit back and really think about how different my life is now compared to two years ago, it is truly crazy. I am thankful everyday for the opportunity to come to a school where I have met so many amazing people and friends. Friends that I know will be there for me way after our college days are over.
I'm not going to lie, I get nostalgic and think about home and how my life used to be all the time. I miss the days when I could just come home from school, see my mom and talk about my day. Sometimes I wish that I didn't come to a college so far away. But then there are days where I am beyond grateful for the fact that I moved out of my hometown.
I think that's just the way life works. You change, and your routine changes. You accommodate to everything life throws at you. People you know become people you knew, and that's alright. We are constantly forming new memories and experiencing new things that shape us into the person that we are meant to be. Life is a roller coaster, and I'm so excited to see where the ride takes me.
