It’s been one year. One year since I muddled up the courage to post my first blog post publicly for anyone to read. One year since I was knocked off my feet, discouraged to ever write or post again, kicked down the first day of finals week, and one year since I questioned everything. It’s also been one year since I passed all my finals with flying colors despite being discouraged, one year since I took a stand and decided I was going to keep writing and posting for anyone to read and one year since I decided I was going to be me. I decided that I wouldn’t let other people tell me how my life would turn out, who I would keep in my life, what classes I would take to ensure that my future education would help my dreams become a reality, and choose to have the courage to put myself out there to meet people and become inspired by those who have succeeded and are doing what I hope to do in the future.
A year ago almost to the exact date, I began to contemplate everything. My friends, boyfriend, career choice, major and even what I had done in the past. I decided to keep on doing what I had planned and I believe it’s because that is the plan God had for me. I had every reason to change everything, give up, and lose the courage I had. Over the course of the past year, I have stood my ground and accomplished more than I have could have imagined during my final week of sophomore year.
This past year, I work with Kat Schmoyer, boss lady of Dear Sweetheart Events, not once, but twice. Both experiences were amazing and I can’t wait for the next two; she is seriously an incredible planner and fabulous boss lady and creative! I finished my sophomore year, declared and completed a minor in Marketing, made Dean’s list, acquired an internship for the summer of 2016, celebrated another year with my best friend, made new friends and signed a lease for the fall to start a new chapter of my life. I continued to write as consistently as I could (almost once a month) and learn from others through the process. This year has been full of accomplishments but also so many obstacles and really hard day…. I mean really hard. My junior year in high school was my hardest year in school before I came to college. No one warned me that junior year in college was going to be ten times harder.
I don’t think I had it worse than anyone else. Everyone goes through his or her own struggles, in college or not. Sometimes I felt like giving up. So many times I thought about just not coming back, quitting and doing my own things or just breaking down and crying in my room happened a little too often. Even though the last 8 months have been hard, there have also been so many rewards. Sometimes those rewards wouldn’t come until days, weeks or even months later but when they did it was just enough encouragement to get me till the next one came. Not only were the rewards worth it, but also the people I have had in my life along the way made the worst days better.
My mom mentioned this past weekend that my friends from high school and I are unique. She meant that the relationship and friendships that we have all maintained through high school and into our 3rd year of college are unique. I don’t know what I would do without my high school friends; they have been my day 1s since first grade, and one even before that (shout out to Bennett, best friend since birth). If you have a great group of friends who supports you, always answers your phone calls/texts/snapchats as soon as they can and will literally do anything for you, do not let them go. This doesn’t mean you can’t make new friends, but always love and cherish the ones who have been there from the start. Ladies (and gentlemen) if you have a significant other who loves you through every bump in the road, moody day, and drama keep them. If they support you, want to hear about every day, good or bad and help you through it all, let them know how much you appreciate it and don’t let them go. Your family is family but they are so much more than that. Your parents listen to your rants, wipe your tears, give you the best advice you could have and answer all your questions, don’t forget to thank them.
There will be hard days, hard weeks, hard months and hard years but I can guarantee there will be rewards and it will all be worth it. A few things I have learned over this past year:
1. Don’t let other people discourage you from what you want to do in life and how you choose to live your life, that’s why it’s YOURS.
2. Forgive the ones who hurt you along the way, it may be hard but it’s necessary in order to live happily.
3. Strive for your goals and make your dreams become a reality to matter how hard it seems.
4. Always thank the ones who are there for you along the way and remember they need you to be there too.
Let’s see what this next year has in store. Let’s stick together and never let anything get us too down that we give up. Cheers to another year! Now let’s kick final’s butt!!
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
