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Breathe in, breathe out. You have made it to the first blog of the fall semester. For some, it may be your first semester, for others like myself, it may be your second to last. Breathe in, breathe out.
Welcome to a Note to My Senior Self. Right now, I am sitting at my desk in New Jersey, surrounded by packed bags. Surrounded by decorations and memories from the past few years; excited to drive down the highway to my Narragansett home and get settled inside.
Right now I am unsure of where this blog will end up. No, this isn’t a review of my college years. No, this isn’t a tips and tricks blog for what comes next. No, it is none of those things. It is a note to myself. Motivation, inspiration, and even simple reminders that I might have forgotten through the years.
Breathe in, breathe out. Readers, not only did you make it to the first fall blog of 2023, but you made it to your senior year, junior year, sophomore year, and congratulations, you have made it to your freshman year.
Reminder: Not everything goes as planned.
Days passing, growing older, and time moving forward is inevitable. The reason why I say this is because it is hard to imagine that three years ago, life changed when the pandemic broke out. I was a senior in high school getting ready to play my final season of lacrosse, make final memories in the hallways, and find meaning in my relationships. But, that was cut short, and I was sent to stay home, like the rest of the world.
As a college senior now, looking back three years ago, it feels like a dream. Something that I still haven’t woken up from just yet. My freshman year of being a Rhody Ram was through a screen as I sat in my home in New Jersey. At this time, COVID-19 hit my family hard, taking away a loved one in our family.
Not everything goes as planned. The plan was to have everyone stay safe inside, only leave for necessities. But, people needed to work to survive. People needed to breathe fresh air. People needed to celebrate moments in life.
We lost my Yiayia (grandma) to COVID-19. Still, after three years, and even writing this blog, it still doesn’t feel real. I am not sure if it is because her whole life she was a fighter: she survived cancer, open heart surgery, and much more. But COVID-19 was the one to take her away. I am not sure if it is because we were unable to see her one last time because of the strict hospitalization rules. I am not sure if it is because I can’t quite pinpoint the last time I saw her, but I can listen to all of her voicemails I have saved on my phone. All I know is that it was never the plan to lose Yiayia. But, you have to learn how to react when things don’t go as planned. Time doesn’t stop, life continues day by day. We don’t know why these things happen to people we love. But you grow to learn the importance of every second of every day, every person, and every moment in your life.
When things do not go as planned, take a step back, breathe in, breathe out. Think about what you have learned from it. These thoughts might not come right away, they may come three years later as you are typing a note to self-blog during your senior year.
I have learned that it takes time to learn acceptance.
I have learned to cherish conversations.
I have learned to save important messages.
I have learned that I can forgive but not forget.
I have learned that I am never walking alone.
I have learned that things do not go as planned, and it is okay.
Everyone has a different experience in life. But, one thing we have in common is that we will all at some point experience change or the unexpected. Things may not go as planned. You do not have to move on, you have to move forward.
Reminder: You are the Author of Your Life
Over the past few years, I have realized that I always wanted to follow a path. For me, becoming an author and being involved in the publishing industry is a dream. I focused on the path of my favorite authors and tried to emulate them. But, as I sit here and write this blog, I am again reminding myself that all paths are different. And you, you are the author of your own life and create your own path.
From a young age, I have always known I loved writing. In fourth grade, I remember other students groaning as we received a timed writing prompt, but I smiled with joy as I began scribbling words down. As the years passed and I had to choose a major for college, I remember people questioning my choices and steering me away from my dream.
“Why would you want to spend your life writing?”
“What career can you even pursue when papers are diminishing?”
“Writing isn’t a real job.”
With worried smiles on their face, they would say these things, making me question where I wanted to take my creative skills and dreams. But, after three years of being in English classes, creative writing, and journalism courses, I have gained confidence in myself.
I have learned the value of being unique, not only in the career field, but in the classroom. Others who are interested in the creative field, like myself, have to find different ways to stand out. With a dream of writing, and a dream of sharing my work with the world, I have to create my own story. I have to share my own chapters because I am the author of my own life.
My path is not the same as my idols, the people I want to become, or the individuals who have success. My path is my own. It is windy, it is long, it is pretty bumpy, but it will lead me and only me to a place where I belong.
Note to Self: This is your life. Do not let other people’s opinions or comments deter you from where you want to go and where you are aiming to get to. Do not let them interrupt who you want to become.
Thank you for reading this week’s blog. I hope these reminders made you think about your success and your own life. Stay tuned for next week to learn about ways to get active on campus.