I usually have a plan, but that plan never seems to go according to how I thought it would. For example, I thought I wanted to stay close to home for college. I went 10 hours away. I came into Clemson as a health science major with intentions to be a physical therapist. I am now a Marketing and Communication major, and I absolutely love it. I never wanted to study abroad. I not only studied abroad twice, but I chose to go to the farthest location possible: Australia! WHO AM I?!
Each plan I constructed seemed perfect in the moment, and I thought it was exactly what I wanted. However, in college, your life is full of twists, turns, and unexpected moments. We planners may not take this wild ride very well – like when you think you’re visiting Greenville for the day, and the sky unleashes a fury of rain telling you, “No, you will not be shopping outside today.” But I have learned now more than ever that sometimes the best things in life come from the expected moments you never see coming.
I’ve come to this realization in my own life, repeatedly. Each time, I am proven wrong and shown that there is a plan greater than my own, waiting for me to find it. For instance, when I decided to go abroad, I was not only past the deadline to apply, but I had read very little information to support my decision. After doing my research and realizing this was an opportunity of a lifetime, I realized that the spring semester I had planned for myself was not coming to fruition. However, this was more than okay because my new journey would be even better. My life since then has consisted of amazing, crazy, and unforgettable experiences that my narrow path planned would have led me away from, depriving me of the most amazing four months of my life. Looking back now, it almost feels like a dream – a dream where I held a koala, repelled off cliffs, snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, rode in a helicopter in New Zealand, and sunbathed on a floating bar in the middle of the Fiji Islands.
I could have never constructed a plan for myself where these possibilities existed because I didn’t know any better. I was ignorant of what was out there waiting for me to explore. That is why I am telling you planners out there that it’s okay to not have a plan. Give yourself permission to ~go with the flow~, see where life takes you, and trust that you will end up exactly where you should be. College is a time to find yourself and realize that maybe what you thought you wanted isn’t the right direction for you. Be kind to yourself, and be open to what life has to offer!