Happy Easter everyone! Given the spirit of the day, I wanted to dedicate this week’s blog post to discussing what I have learned about myself this past semester off campus. As I have mentioned before, I think that I have experienced more personal growth than anything else while here in Chicago and I’m going to dive into this further in the following paragraphs.
#1: I am beautiful and worthy of respect.
I have always struggled with my self confidence just like everyone else, but studying off campus has really helped me to understand both my flaws and my strengths. Living in such a huge city has really helped me to better understand that it doesn’t matter what other people think of you, and it’s up to you individually to decide how you want to live your life. I have become much more confident and extroverted here, and am very thankful for this.
#2: I am a leader.
Prior to college I was known to be a leader in what I did, but when I got to college I had decided to take the backseat and let someone else fill the role. Being off campus this semester has forced me back out of my comfort zone to take the reins both within my friend groups as well as my internship here, and has further boosted my confidence.
#3: I have lived an incredibly sheltered life.
Growing up in Holland and attending college in Holland has definitely not exposed me to some of the harsh realities of life, and I’m glad that I’ve finally had the opportunity to experience them firsthand. I have further come to realize how important education and activism is, and I look forward to dedicating my career towards something within this.
#4: I do not know what I wish to pursue as a career and that is okay.
If you know me, you know that I plan everything. Every aspect of my life has been planned out from the time I first started grade school through college, and for the first time in my life I have no plan. I don’t know for certain what career I would like to pursue, but I’m okay with that. I have plenty of time to figure it out, and there is absolutely no rush for me to graduate college and rush into graduate school. I have learned that it is much easier to take things day by day and go with the flow, and this also allows me to live a happier and more spontaneous life.
Overall, I encourage everyone to do something out of their comfort zone while still young. Want to try a new job? Do it. Want to move to a different city for the summer? Why not. Trust your gut and do whatever YOU want to do. It is your life, and at the end of the day you have to live with the decisions that you either do (or do not) make.