This past weekend marked two years since Tyler and I graduated from Simpson University. When I stop to think about that, I can't believe it! This past week I have been seeing Facebook status updates from friends at Simpson who are in their last week of college. It has been bringing back memories of my last week of my undergraduate career and the plethora of emotions I was experiencing.
I was ecstatic to be done with college. I was exhausted! I still joke to this day that I am catching up on sleep I missed out on in college! I couldn't wait to be free from papers, finals, and presentations. I knew I would be starting my credential a month later, so I knew my break was short lived, but I couldn't wait to have a month off! I was so excited to start my credentialing program but I was also incredibly nervous. My credential felt so far away.
Finals week was a blur of emotion. I couldn't wait to be done, but I also didn't want to say goodbye to all my friends. Many of them were leaving Redding and I was dreading that! I loved (and still love) the girls on my floor and many of us became lifelong friends during our college careers and I knew it was going to be hard to say goodbye. I wasn't ready to not have them living right next door to me!
It was looming over my head that Tyler and I would soon have to say goodbye. He was moving home to Riverside and I was staying in Redding. I had this terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't bear to think about saying goodbye to him. We had only been dating for 3 months at that point, but we were already becoming best friends. Whenever we were hanging out and started to talk about him moving away, we would quickly say, "Let's just not think about it!." Neither of us had any idea how hard saying goodbye would be. I am tearing up just thinking about it now.
Graduation was the first time I would meet Tyler's family and I remember feeling really nervous. Would they like me? Would they approve of me as their son's girlfriend? Our parents were going to meet for the first time too. Would they get along and make a good impression with each other? I was NERVOUS about everything! Haha!
I felt proud. I was done with my undergraduate career and I had made it! I had some rough times in college. It wasn't always easy to persevere. I felt like giving up numerous times. Physically, I had a rough four years. My body wasn't always kind to me, but I was determined. I had done it! I grew so much at Simpson both spiritually and emotionally and I really felt prepared to take on what was in front of me. I couldn't wait to walk across that stage.
I felt thankful. Without the support of my parents, my brother, and countless other family and close friends, I wouldn't have made it through college. I was encouraged, prayed for, mentored and loved by so many during my four years at Simpson and I felt so overwhelmingly grateful on my graduation day.
Looking back, so many things have changed. I am not in Redding anymore. Riverside is my home. I had no idea that at the end of that year I would be moving to Southern California to be near Tyler. I am Tyler's wife now and his family I was SO nervous to meet is now MY family too.I think they liked me!;) I am now a California credentialed teacher and next Monday I am starting my Masters. Who would have thought?!:) It feels like yesterday I was just graduating and soon I will have my Masters degree. Whoa. How is that possible?!
Many of my relationships look different now. With distance, relationships change. I didn't want to believe that would happen, but realistically it does. I thought I would stay close with every single friend I had in Redding and at Simpson, but that just wasn't realistic at all! It's taken me some time to not be sad that I often feel like I am the only one putting out effort to keep in touch with some of my friends. I am a relational person and I love to know how the people I care about are doing. I don't always feel like that is reciprocated and it's taken me some time to accept that this is okay. I can only do so much. Once again, with distance, relationships change. I will always love my friends no matter the distance we are from each other. They truly are life-long friends and when we do see each other it's like we haven't been apart at all. Although I miss my close college friends, I have been blessed to meet new friends in Riverside and they are truly special blessings! Had I not moved here I would not have these wonderful new friends in my life!
Two years ago I couldn't have imagined being far away from my parents or brother. For the last 17 months I have been living 11 hours away from my family and what a change that has been! I still cry sometimes because I miss going to lunch with my dad or having girls night out with my mom. I simply just miss being close to my family, but Riverside is really my home now. I never thought I would love living in Southern California, but it has truly grown on me!
I go to sleep at 10:00 now! Haha! I just thought I would throw this one in here!:) In college, late nights were a way of life!:) In-N-Out runs at midnight were totally normal! Under eye circles were a big fashion statement!;)
The last two years have flown by, but boy have they been full of blessings! College was a wonderful season of my life which I hold special memories of. I wouldn't trade those four years for anything.
My advice to those graduating this weekend: Enjoy these last few days. Make sure you tell your professors thank you for everything they have done. Hug your friends and promise each other that even when life gets busy and you are far away from each other, you will still drop them a line every now and then. Cherish your ten second walk across the stage. Smile big in all your pictures. Be proud of yourself...you did it! Hold on tight...you have no idea what the next two years might bring your way!;)
