Now, I’m not going to name anyone…. but someone had a hard time saying goodbye to their college-bound sister. Then, I received a message deceivingly packaged by Timehop. There wasn’t anything extraordinarily special about this picture other than the reminder that college was easily one of the most precious moments of my life.
Just as suddenly I’m consumed with a blatant reminder of how amazing the journey is. I walked onto campus I would call home, that I only knew from one brief tour a year and a half prior to. In a city across the country. A city I had no friends in. I felt like I had no one to turn to. I sat in my dorm room that first night wondering if I did the right thing. As a sophomore, everyone probably had ready-made friends, right? And here I am all alone…
My roommates would soon become some of my closest friends. Looking back, I wish I would have had someone older to look up to, to show me that taking risks was okay. Sure, I took them, but I’d love to share what I’ve learned.
So here is my advice, as an older sister, cousin, best friend, and, well, someone who doesn’t mind reliving some of the best years of my life.
– Live fearlessly. Moving to a new place was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I now have a new place I’d call home. That trait would help me conquer my dreams for the next few years. What risk will you see through?
– Don’t be afraid to let go. College is a time where you’ll meet some of your best friends. Unfortunately, time will often reveal those who have your best interests at heart. Moving on from old friends doesn’t equate failure, it simply means you’re adult enough to acknowledge what is best for you.
– Love might not always mean love. Everyone experiences “love” differently. Never EVER let your values be compromised. However, stay open-minded and respect the heartbreak/s as an opportunity to learn more about yourself, how you deal with grief, and how others treat love.
– Follow your dreams. Oh, yes, this sounds cheesy and overused for sure, but who wants to pursue a boring, sub-par life? Let me tell you, life moves pretty quickly after college. Make sure every minute counts. Go after what makes you happy.
– The bigger the better. (See above.) Yeah, I repeated it. It’s your future and you have to live it. Make sure you love every minute of it…
– Failure is okay. Look, I’m not perfect. In fact, I’m far from it. I’m exceptionally flawed. Every mistake and every misstep I took, brought me to where I am now. You’ll see it looking back… Trust the process.
This is just a tiny glimpse of what I learned- from the good and bad. Be true to yourself and trust every step of the process… Truly. I wish you the best four years of your life. I know you’ll do great and can’t wait to see who you become. I’ll be there every step of the way- with plenty of advice and love.