Sarah Then and Now

Hello everyone!

Between my classes, two internships and my job I've been... busy.

Senior year is in full swing and I'm at that weird point in the semester where throwing everything to the wind and calling it quits sounds very appealing, but I know that in doing so my last semester of college will be right around the corner.

That's just scary.

Is it just me, or have other people in my situation really thought long and hard about life after graduation? How does one find out what they want to do? And once that's settled, where do you want your mark on the geographical map to be?

See above: That's just scary.

There are so many places, and job titles I'll never know about. A handful of which, if I searched long and hard for, could actually be the perfect job for me! I may just never know about them.

Luckily, I've been to go to a school that has supported me in everything I've done and I know it will stay this way long after I graduate. The support system is there.

In one of my internship roles,  I get to ask prospective students about their lives and what they're thinking about doing with them. (Mind you, if I was on the receiving end of my questions 4 years ago, I would have been nothing short of terrified) This role has undoubtedly forced me to reflect; I've been able to think back to what I would have said and compare it to where I am now.

It's in those moments of reflection that I've realized that I'm a different person. I mean that in the best way possible. From shy and timid to confident in my work- I have changed. I have been challenged. By myself and by people who saw my potential long before I did.  I've realized that I've done a lot more than I think I've done. My little celebrations and hiccups throughout my life and in college have made me more certain of who I am or where my path may lead.

I guess this purpose of this post is to let you know that people will always be there for you, many people have been in your shoes before and that you are far more capable of doing things than you think.

This is to not only remind myself, but to remind you that we can all do great things, because whether your memory recalls or not, you've already done magnificent things to get to where you currently are.

Love,

Hello Stranger!

Hello, my wonderful friends on the internet!

It felt weird to log into my blog today. It feels weird to even be typing anything right now. And surely, it will be weird for y'all to see that I just published a post.

Yeah... It's been a while!

I could say that I've been extremely busy (both true and false given the day), but in all honesty, it's been really great to give myself a break.

There I said it. And I don't feel guilty.

We often don't allow ourselves to actually breathe. It's so hard now for people to say no and just take a step back. There's this perceived notion that we have to know exactly what we're doing all the time. We always have to be on.

 Guys, it's ok to disconnect from the internet and social media.  It's ok to to not have an agenda. It's ok to let go of things that don't make you happy! It's also ok to say bye to things that you love for a while, like blogging, for example.

 It's so fun to watch an idea that once lived in the back of your brain, develop into something entertaining or useful. But what do you do when those ideas don't come around as often? To me, blogging and writing becomes more of a chore at that point- something that I never intended.

Taking a step back, and just living life, getting rid of unnecessary pressure or stress, it all helps create a better garden for creativity to grow. Sometimes we forget that.

I'm just going about my days and letting ideas come and go. In doing this, I've learned what I really like to do or what I don't want to do. As a 21 year old, that's both terrifying and relieving. (Mostly relieving!)

I've been selling some old things I no longer need on Depop. This is another form of letting go annddd it makes me some money, which is fantastic.

Although not blogging all the time, I am still writing in different ways. I've been creating really fun letters and crafts, but I don't want to give too much away since those letters are for  some people who are, most likely, reading this... :) 

It feels great to just pour out my heart, my silliness and a little bit of creativity onto physical pages. Hopefully, that spark and drive will translate to online writing soon.

Until then, there's no need to worry about me. I'm still going strong as The Young Hopeful's Social Media Editor (Follow us! We give awesome career and college advice AND I like to think that I'm funny from time to time) It's another thing that I absolutely love doing.

The above things I'm currently doing are simple, but they're making me so happy. And that's important. 

Find what makes you genuinely happy, even if it takes a bit of time, even if it's not monumental, even if it's something different than you've ever done before.

 You'll be amazed at how much of an impact it has on you and all the other aspects of your life.

I promise.

With love,

To Grow Up Would Be An Awfully Big Adventure

A few months back I received an email from a past Professor. 

She informed me that one of my essays from last Spring was picked to be published in this year's Audeamus. 

How cool is that?!

Even better, you'll never be able to guess what the essay was about.

OH YEAH, PETER PAN.

How cool is that?! 2x

Photo Courtesy of Stephen Mease

In learning that this  essay would be published, the initial emotions I had writing the essay resurfaced. In fact, its importance actually increased tenfold.

With each passing day, I realize that my college days are numbered. As someone hesitant to change, this terrifies me greatly. Rereading the story of how Peter Pan came to be and how much value his story holds in society meant a lot to me. See, Peter Pan doesn’t fit into a particular box and that’s why he’s relatable. I’ve learned that while he’s more egotistic than heroic, he’s still an important pillar in our society. 

Peter’s adventure is timeless. His way of living is dogmatic. The realization of growing up and growing old is something that strikes a chord in everyone at some point.  Hearing Peter proclaim ‘To die would be an awfully big adventure!’ echoes in every corner of our existence. We live our lives day by day to better ourselves, to grow up, to give something back to the world and to leave a lasting impression.

Everyone was once a child and played pretend. While we have all grown out of that phase, it’s nice to know there’s still someone carrying on that innocence and splendor for us.

And that is what makes the real world not so scary after all.

With love,