It's a Hard-Knock Life!

Being an adult is tough. (And I’m using the term “adult” loosely, as it relates to me).

It’s been a year since I graduated from university and received my BA. At 21, I had met probably the biggest goal I had set in my life. This has definitely been one of the biggest accomplishments and I still get this warm feeling every time I say that I am a college graduate.  

Being in college and moving on in the world is an exciting phase of any young adult’s life. The uncertainty and drive that you have in you as you enter college is so exhilarating! I’ll be the first to admit that I was thrilled to start my new life on my own. Up to this point of my life I thought I had it all figured out. Like every 18-21 year old I thought that the world was at my hands and I could do whatever my eager little heart wanted to do. Do I still believe this? Absolutely.  

I am now 23 and things are definitely different now.  I’m used to being in control and having a clear vision of what, where, who, when, and why I want to do it. Everyone says, life after college is the “real world” and it’s difficult to find your niche and I AGREE.

After I graduated I was living on cloud 9….that is until I received my first student loan payment and reality sank in. I was determined to go into Graduate School while I was still in student mode, but then post grad anxiety kicked in. What did I want to do with my life? What kind of job would I get with my current degree? Who did I want to be? Yes, I was having a mid-life crisis at such a tender age. 

The thing with the world is it keeps moving. Time keeps passing and it doesn’t stop. Rather than boring myself to death and depressing myself with my uncertainties I have decided to embrace them. At first, I thought to myself, I’ll “fake it til I make it”. I went to job interviews, got internships, and told my friends my life was filled with rainbows and butterflies after graduation. Now, I can honestly say that I don’t have to fake it til I make it, I just have to MAKE it. Where exactly? I don’t know. What I do know is that I’m going in the right direction. It’s okay to not know everything about where you’re headed. It’s okay to not be totally in control. I decided I needed to put my big girl pants on and start moving and so far, so good.

One thing I’ve learned, with all the great opportunities that have come my way, is that things come to you when you’re ready. Patience is not my forte but I’m learning to deal with life as I go. My life is about balance; work, life, grad school, family, fun. And I think that’s the key to having a happy life.

Life is tough y’all. We all deal with our own struggles. But having the life you want is not impossible. Trust your instincts, stay positive, WORK HARD, have faith, BREATHE, and you’ll be fine.