"I never thought this day would come." A common phrase
on the lips of many recent college graduates. We all heard it from our parents,
"They're the best four years of your life so live it up because they fly
by" but often it just went in one ear and out the other. For me, adjusting
to a heavy course load, new environment, and 60 housemates my first semester
was enough to make it feel like 2 years, so I was actually wondering how in the
world I was going to make it through 3.5 more...I could've sworn those thoughts
were buzzing around my head just yesterday yet here I am, a recent grad. In
addition to being an Evans Scholar, my situation is a little different than
most of my friends. It all started this past January...
"This placed
is packed with underclassman!"
Looking around the ballroom I couldn't agree more.
"Wow...we're old, Lissie. I feel so...out of place, which is weird because
I love dances but this one...I dunno, it's as if we're finally being nudged out
of the nest"
"Yea...this is weird."
...and that's when
it first hit me. I finally understood what it felt like to be "nudged from
the nest." It was a foreign feeling and I didn’t like it. Sure, I felt a
little bit of it in high school but a majority of my independence and personal
growth occurred in the last four years, so instead of being excited to fly to
new heights I was scared out of my mind. As the semester continued I learned to
accept this new change. Feelings of longing to relive old memories were
replaced with excitement to form new ones. Here is where my situation becomes
unique: most of my friends were going off to grad school or work in various
states after graduation, spreading their wings to far horizons. I was also
spreading my wings and flying...but simply to the next tree over. I will be
staying in Milwaukee for the next two years to finish the Marquette Physician
Assistant Program, so I didn't have far to fly. But I still had to leave the
nest. I said goodbye to the Evans Scholar house which has been my home for the
last four years and (as of next weekend) hello to my own studio. I parted ways
with an undergrad schedule and as of this past Monday invested myself into a graduate
routine of classes from 8-4 Monday thru Friday. I left my tree of comfort and
security for one with higher branches but a gorgeous view. I'm only three days
into year two of the program and I'm already excited for what lies ahead. Those
ahead of me in the program warned me that this will be the most challenging and
taxing year of my academic career but that's only in the short-term. A year is
nothing compared to a long-term future of promise, opportunities, and
success. Which brings me to the purpose of creating this blog...
Life is about more
than grades and exams. It's beyond the sweat of anxiety, tears of struggle, and
fears of failure. I can assure you that I will experience all of these feelings
this year because they come with the territory of a rigorous academic program,
but I will not let
them control me. This is why I created this blog. To keep me grounded and serve
as a tangible reference that life is much more than any problem I'm currently
facing. Life is not a noun, it's a verb. In our busy lives we often forget that
life is to live. It's walking
along the lake and taking goofy statue pictures with your Aunt and Uncle. It's stuffing
yourself with dirt cups until you feel sick with your girlfriends. It's calling
your Mom to tell her you love her because she doesn't hear it enough. The list
goes on and on but do you get my point?
So, my goal is to
post something inspirational, encouraging, thought-provoking, etc once a week,
most likely on Wednesdays since that marks "hump day" and we could
all use a little food-for-thought to get over the "hump" in each of
our lives.
I would love for
you to join me in my journey, exploring this hazy yet beautiful view from
another tree.
Have a blessed
week,
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