semester two

I sit eagerly in front of my computer, ready to write this sentimental recap of my “not so perfect” semester. I try to find the right words to accurately paint this beautiful picture of how January-May went, but every time, it just ends up sounding like a forced thank you note. I attempted writing some “creative” message incorporating the new season of Euphoria but nothing seemed to flow the same way some of my other posts did. Maybe it’s my first writer ‘s block. A milestone if I must! I could sit here and tell you all the terrible things that happened, all the perfect things that happened, how I grew, and how my new aspirations for the future came about or I could sit here and tell you about my crazy little Wednesday night and turning 19 in Sig Chi (kind of a fever dream). The problem is, if I keep digging and searching for the perfect words that would draw you to my Cinderella Semester story, the shoe will never fit, and I would never be satisfied.

First thing I can say, is thank you to everyone who spent time in Hoover with me, listening to me rant about all the things that were going so wrong and listening to my dramatic recaps. One tizzy after another (as my mentor would say). Thank you to everyone who listened to how MUCH I wanted to leave this small little town (a lie). But also thank you to everyone who listened to my crazy stories, and my reminiscing on the memories I made, those that I will cherish forever. And thank you to my dad for listening to my lonesome little phone calls in Julian way past his bedtime.

If I’ve learned anything this semester (it may sound dramatic so take it as you want), it’s that I should NEVER say “It couldn’t get worse”, because chances are it will, but since it’s over, and I’m sitting here in my hotel room, living the next section of this chapter of my life, my semester could’ve been A LOT worse. Amongst all the struggling relationships, Saturday night mishaps, and Italian Creme sodas that tasted like dish soap, I built so many strong friendships, started a fitness journey, made memories I will never forget, and stepped on the yellow brick road to finding myself. For goodness’ sake! I started writing so much more And I fell back in love with the little things.

In the beginning of the semester, I decided to create a list of all the little memories I made and say if you will, it was the best decision I made. Amongst all the chaos, the list had things that made me so happy that I wouldn’t have remembered otherwise. Little things that kept me afloat, that made me smile. little things like Hoover had chocolate dump cake! and big things like I got a bid into Alpha Chi!. Turns out, there are a hundred and forty (Exactly. How satisfying!) good things from this semester. In comparison to the maybe ten bad things that happened, it seems like I had a pretty good time. Of course it took me until my big end of semester reflection to realize that yeah, maybe I did. At least I have some more interesting stories for senior desserts! I made memories. A lot of them in fact, and although I missed every single end of year Darty, late night talks, and getting Bubble Gum flavored Ice cream with the people I care about most put a BIG Band-Aid on all the places that needed healing.

The biggest thing I found is that I really love my school. Although my father says you can only love people and pets, I love this place. My small-town university holds my secrets, my friends, my passions, my future. I can’t wait for more Sunday morning Breadworks study sessions, more late-night walks from Julian, more late-night chicken tenders from Hoover, and more sporadic adventures through creepy places on campus! The best part is this is only the beginning. I’ve got many more semester recaps so hold on tight, this rollercoaster will be exhilarating!

Another List for Good Measures