Cheers to post grad

I remember graduating from high school. I didn't have any kind of emotions, really. I felt like everyone around me did, though. The phrase "the best years of our lives," was tossed around, but I didn't get it. If my high school years were the best years of my life, my life was downright miserable. I remember what my mother told me when this phrase was being tossed around by my peers. My mother told me, "the best years of your life are coming up, the best years of your life are your college years." Two weeks ago I graduated from college, and as each day passes I become more affirmed in my belief that my mother was right. Aren't moms always right?

The past two weeks have been a blur of highs and lows. A blur of nights out until four a.m. with some of the best people I have ever met. A blur of packing up a house, my freedom, and the subsequent blur of attempting to unpack said life into my parent's house. A blur of sobs and hugs as I say goodbye to the people who made the past four years what they were. Such an emotional, messy, beautiful two week blur, so excuse me as my thoughts are everywhere and this will probably compile into one incoherent jumble of letters forming words that don't string together as they should.

I think back to who I was four years ago, and boy am I glad these four years have happened. I am still the same girl I always was, but I am also so much more, and I have my college experience to thank for that. I have grown as I have met the people who best understand me, the people who best accept me, the people who best love me. The friendships I have built in college have allowed me to understand myself, accept myself, and love myself, which is something that four years ago an 18 year old girl who wore way too much eye makeup would have never thought possible. So to my friends, and you all know who you are, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, and I hope I was able to help you do the same. Honestly, I have the most beautiful group of friends inside and out, and I hope you know how beautiful you are, in every form of the word.

Let me try to collect myself here, I am all over the place. To my friends, to the strangers I never had the pleasure of meeting, to everyone who is back at their parent's house and a new college graduate, this is for you. It is okay if you may be directionless at the moment, it's okay if you don't know what your next move is. For the past twenty something years of our lives we have all had our next move mapped out; high school to college to get that degree. Let's embrace this uncertainty that has been thrust upon us. Wake up with no idea what you're going to do for the day. Spend a day in bed. Spend a day job hunting. Spend a day catching up with old friends. Spend a day with your parents. Spend a day reading. Because soon this time of uncertainty will end, and we will be expected to be contributing members of society. Enjoy it and know that you will be okay, we will all be okay.

And finally, to my friends: I cannot wait to see and hear about all of the amazing things you do and I cannot wait to see you again. I will be the one screaming of joy and running at you to tackle you down, probably tripping on my way.