Off to Great Places — Off and Away!
I’m so scared! Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I have no clue what I want to do with my life or where I’d like to go from here. College felt so big – like earning my degree and making clubs and participating in the community were concrete steps I was making to build the foundation of my future. Everything from late nights out with friends to several-hour-long study shifts in the library felt like they were bringing me somewhere productive. What am I supposed to do without academic pressure and bouts of validation… check my LinkedIn daily?! Please. No. Save me.
If you’re anything like me, when faced with a newly opened door you can’t help but return to Sylvia Plath’s “Fig Tree Analogy” from The Bell Jar. After graduation I’m headed home for a gap year, and in this time I could start attending graduate school for Sustainable Fashion, or work at a vintage shop in downtown Chicago, or take on a job teaching little ones about the environment at the nature conservancy by my house.
I’m overwhelmed by this great big life spread out in front of me. What path should I choose? Where should I go? I’m stressed that I don’t have every bit of my life planned out.
But… isn’t that sort of beautiful? Having no plan means you have every plan.
I was scared when I started college, too. And when I started high school. And on my first day of kindergarten. I made it through everything, though – despite despite despite.
For anyone in my same position, standing at the precipice of everything, know we are never alone. We made the same finger-paintings together in elementary school, and we’ll make sure to leave a beautiful splotch of colour wherever we end up. We’re more connected and more alike than we could ever know. I’m wishing you luck. I’m sending you love. And I hope you know that everything always, always, ends up well in the end.
