I have (almost) always treated my academic career as a full-time job. I have put forth a great deal of time, effort, and energy into it. More often than not I have passed up a night out with friends to study for hours on end.
If I had to choose between my social life and my academic workload, I would always choose the latter. Although I don’t necessarily regret it, a friend of mine told me something that completely changed my perspective: you only have one college experience.
Up until recently, I felt as if I had “been there, done that”, especially considering how chaotic and crazy my freshman year was.
It was then that I realized that I had been a passive participant in my own life for far too long now.
Already, it feels as if I have lived so many different lives. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown accustomed to fading into the background. These moments become memories, and the memories will be forgotten.
And yet, I have found myself increasingly nostalgic for a life I have yet to live.
Today is my birthday.
How fitting.