I am not sure I know where to begin with 2014. When I reflected last new years day on 2013, I had no idea what awaited me. Not even two weeks after Jan 1, I decided to go to Messiah College....it fell into place. Nothing has ever been easier. It was so apparent that Messiah was the place I was supposed to be. I was scared going into it because I was leaving Mercyhurst after one semester and blindly moving into Messiah but It's probably the best decision I have ever made.
Messiah College is this beautiful community of people that want to make a difference in the world. I love it...I have loved it for the two semesters I have now completed.
After a month being there, I decided to apply to be an RA and two months into the semester, I got hired. The rest of my first semester, I built friendships and navigated my way through a completely different atmosphere and academic system. I also declared Christian Ministry as my major after having a timely and poignant conversation with a hall mate who has come to be a great friend.
I had theee perfect roommate who I learned so much from and who supported me through a crazy semester. Through a series of situations, I learned very valuable lessons about conflict and how to handle it as a mature adult.
Over the summer, I could not wait to return for fall semester and my summer job at Lowe's only made the summer drag on.
Fall semester was a series of trials, triumphs, and tenacity. On top of being an RA to 43 fantastic and beautiful residents, I worked two jobs and made it my mission to accomplish every assignment for the semester in hopes of achieving a perfect GPA. Well, that didn't happen, but I became disciplined in a way that I never have been before. I got proper sleep[ pretty consistently]. I exercised almost everyday and am now down 14 el bees:]. I learned how to balance what felt like 20 million things in a day, and I even took a ballet class.
The semester wasn't a complete success in any respect. It was a lot of give and take. It challenged me. It took a lot out of me, but it also charged me up. I LOVE being an RA. I love it. I love my residents. I love my staff. I love the opportunity it affords to be an important part of student's lives.
I HATED working two jobs, but at the same time, I realize that it is necessary and it decreases the debt I will be in post-grad.
I loved and hated my classes. I thought a lot this semester about the things I am learning and the approaches I have taken to learning. I have not come up with the perfect cocktail, but I have learned to be present and to apply myself 100% to the course material, whatever it may be.
This year marks an important milestone in my life. This has been the longest I have stayed in one place since I've graduated four years ago, and while I am just itching to travel again, I think the permanence of college is good for me. I have always had a wandering heart and mind. I am aware. I live in the future. I get so excited for what is to come that I often miss out on what I am experiencing. I don't like this about myself, in fact, I hate it. I want to have memories that I can cherish when I am old. I have become even more aware of this tendency and I am working on alleviating it as much as possible. If I must choose a resolution for 2015, it is to simply "be present" and trust the journey that this year will undoubtedly take me on.
I don't like the saying "New year, new me," because the way I learned to see it in 2014 is that everyday is an opportunity to become a new you. Why people wait for January 1st to make positive life changes, only to give them up February 1st, I have no idea. I am excited to start this new year with an already positive mind and am so happy to say that I didn't end the year panting or crawling across the finish line but rather victorious for accomplishing many things that I set out to without giving up or giving in. Let the good times continue into 2015 and let me work harder, get stronger, and enjoy every moment that I am blessed to live on this earth. Happy New Year, friends.
