Students sitting at a desk diligently reading the textbook. A parent observing their child asleep in a hospital bed. An almost college graduate frantically searching for a job. A son discovering his mom has passed unexpectedly. In life there are unforeseen journeys about to unfold.

Obstacles and challenges along the way are full of joy, laughter, sorrow and pain but through it all there is something to smile about. Seasons come and go; as a chapter of life ends a new one begins with so many uncertainties. It is so easy for one to be afraid of the new season ahead, and that is okay.

With so much out there it is hard to see the future, but there are a few things that I know. There are adventures ahead, new opportunities, and new and old friends that form community.

Many adventures are to come. There is so much ahead that we don’t know but trying new things is only the beginning. Finding new opportunities because it is so easy for one to stay within the “box," but taking that leap of faith may be the best decision of your life. Think of a time when you let an opportunity pass or when you stayed inside and let life go by on the outside. The line between success and failure is defined by the opportunities that you do or do not take.

As you cross over to the new chapter in your life, you may often find yourself surrounded by new people and unfamiliar environments. Always strive to place yourself in a new community and move towards a positive direction. As you begin your next journey, never forget the people who helped shaped you into the person you are now, a person who always looks forward.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, the next hour, five months, a year from now. But I do know that I will accept the unknown. Sometimes, we must take a leap of faith and trust what we can not see coming. I will know where I end up is where I need to be, though maybe not where I wanted to or thought I would be, but where I need to be. We often find ourselves residing in one of two places. Either we toil somewhere we do not wish to be or we find comfort where we are and that is where we wish to stay. If you are the type of person who wakes up and finds themselves somewhere they do not want to be each morning, then use that daily experience to inspire yourself for a new tomorrow. But also recognize where you are now is a part of life you must face and push through. If you identify yourself as the person as the one who loves where you have been placed in life always appreciate that feeling but never become complacent or too comfortable. In fact, constantly try to break out of your comfort zone so you can evolve as an individual. Yet, how would I know that every place that I turn is a building block for something far greater than I can ever imagine. It’s as if you have to watch the clock tick to the next minute with so many unknowns. All we can do is wait, embrace the place that we are in and seek the new adventures. Why not take a semester off two days before school begins and take an internship, go skydiving, take a cross-country road trip with friends, or more importantly surround yourself with family.

Every place you go is full of different people. We are scared and lonely, but one thing that I have learned is to surround yourself with people that love you for you. Those people will help mold you in the person you are created to be.

The unknown may be scary, but is also full of excitement. Here’s to the adventures ahead.

Trust the sunrise.