Over the past month I have spent a total of 11.5 days at
home. The past month has been a
whirlwind of activity-- graduation parties, a wedding, a quick camping trip, and
friends visiting. The rest of the time I
spent driving back and forth to Dallas, visiting friends and interviewing.
My biggest fear about graduating from college was that I
would be bored. The past three years have been utterly full. (At times it felt like I was literally involved
in everything and at times that probably wasn't too far from the truth.)
College is a time to explore and try new things. College was my test kitchen. I experimented, taking risks, saying yes to
every opportunity that presented itself, all the while learning what I was good
at, what I was not, and become more of who I was. That’s the wonderful thing
about being in college. You’re given almost unlimited freedom with almost zero responsibility.
Like so many other things in life, this incredible freedom
is a gift that we can choose how to use. So while college is often seen as
freedom from parents, responsibly, commitment, whatever—I always saw it as
freedom to learn interesting things, try new things, and accept new challenges
or offers of extra responsibly.
A lot of people question my decision to graduate a year
early for that very reason. “I wish I could be in college forever!” they say. While I understand where they’re coming from,
I LOVED everything about my undergrad, I also know that while one piece of
cheese cake can be SO good, the second piece will start to make you feel sick
and if you try and eat the whole thing you will be sick. My undergrad experience
was rich and delicious, but I’m not interested in eating a whole cheesecake at
once.
So while I’m grateful that the past month has been busy, I’m
cherishing the days when I’m just a little bored. The days when I don’t even leave
the house, or when I do it’s just to buy milk for mom. I’d grown so used to running from one thing to
another that it took me awhile to learn to savor the quiet space. Free from
classes, meetings, homework, and office hours, I’m free to write, to draw, to
cook! I’m free to think and dream.
My last semester of college I started practicing yoga and I
love it! But the part I love most is the part at the end when you just lie
there and let everything you’ve done soak in: Savasana. College was practice, but now I’m catching my
breath. I’m grateful that God has blessed me with this time to let it all soak
in, to visit and laugh with friends, to spend time with my family, and just rest.
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