Yesterday morning I finally did what I had worked so hard to achieve and gave up so many hours of sleep and sanity to accomplish--I graduated college!! As I shook hands with a line up of regents that I'd never heard in my entire college career and smiled with the president of the university after receiving my "diploma", it occurred to me--all of my dedication was worth it!
My family surrounded me in a tidal wave after commencement was over and I took over a dozen photos with each one of them until their excitement and pride was satisfied. After a celebration dinner with all of the loved ones who supported or, at times, pushed me during college, it was time to go home and face what I had been dreading all day--time.
Time is a funny thing in that you can either use it to your advantage or it can get away from you and make you realize how much of it you've wasted. Although I spent two years of my time traveling, working full time and healing from the loss of my father, I do not consider it time wasted. The indefinite time in front of me, however long that really is, is absolutely terrifying. Throughout college, I've done well because I've had a framework in which I used to guide me through my decisions. Teachers, mentors and class schedules pushed me where I was meant to be--the School of Journalism & Broadcasting. Without that framework or advice from mentors, what do I do with my time now?
I've read several articles in which students take time after college to travel abroad, see the world or do something awesome. At the moment, I feel extremely lost in figuring out what I want to accomplish with my time. In my defense, I graduated a little over a day ago. Being the writer I am, I've always cleared my head or come up with ideas by writing them out. To help my figure out what I'm going to do with my life, I've decided to create a list of possibilities. This document will definitely have to be fluid in the sense that while, one day, I might say I want to travel with another reggae band, I might delete it the next after I realize that I've been there and done that.
Here are a list of things I want to accomplish with my time:
- Travel to Argentina to see friends in Buenos Aires
- Visit Rio de Janeiro during Carnival
- GET HEALTHY
- Spend a decent amount of time in Cancun to visit friends a relax
- Volunteer with the Red Cross or other non-profit
- Build my credit
- Travel to California to spend time with friends
- Take my Papaw on a cruise to Alaska
- Get a new car
- Scuba in Key Largo
