This year has been tumultuous for me. I lived away from home for the first time, only to spend the last few weeks of the semester back with my family. I met countless new people and tried many new things. I joined clubs, quit clubs, and tried to find myself. Self-discovery was the name of the game this year and it took me in all new directions. Here are just a few things I learned about myself this year:
I learned to embrace my passions. Throughout the year I felt frequently self-conscious about my interests. Whether it was being the only one in class who enjoyed reading Wuthering Heights or having no one to talk to about my new obsession with Star Trek: Discovery, I often felt alone in my excitement. However, I came to embrace these quirks when I realized just how much joy they brought me. Even if she didn’t understand what I was talking about, it made me so happy to tell my roommate about 19th century literature. Sharing my first attempts at cross stitch online made me feel accomplished in my crafting. Through embracing these interests, I was able to find other people who wanted to talk to me about Lord of the Rings or American Girl Doll lore (shoutout to Ceci and Isabelle). I wouldn’t have found these people if I didn’t embrace and share my interests.
I learned what I need to feel my best. Moving to a new location was very intimidating for me. For the first few months of being at college, I didn’t even realize that I was depriving myself of important self-care practices. It was only with some introspection that I came to realize how important rest and time in nature really are to me. Moving from the woods to the suburbs, I didn’t realize how much I missed being in nature until I started taking walks to a local park. Only then did I learn how important nature was to my well being, and that it will always have to be a part of my life.
I learned that I can’t do it all. I already knew I was a perfectionist. My mentality always was that if I just pushed myself hard enough and kept moving, I could balance everything with no problem. That all came crashing down when at the end of this semester I had to leave campus because I had pushed myself too far. I learned that sometimes I can’t do it all, and that that’s okay.
I’m still learning more every single day and I can’t wait to see what next year teaches me.