I really can’t believe I just walked out of my last final of freshman year.  It’s over.  Donezo.  I can’t believe it.  Yesterday was one of the worst days of the year… I had to write three papers and study for two exams.  It was ridiculous.  Yet I still managed to go out and get frozen yogurt with Manoa for the last time.

It’s funny to look at how much you plan to study versus how much you actually study.  My focus over the last week has been more about getting all my shit together and saying goodbye than actually reading anything or looking over notes.

I can’t even begin to describe the things I’ve learned this year, but I’ll try, I guess.

I learned how to make New York City my new home and how to make a floor full of thirty-five strangers my new family.  I learned how to navigate the subway system and in turn forgot how to drive a car.  I learned how to do my laundry and the importance of keeping your closet clean.  I learned how to set an alarm and the consequences of hitting snooze one too many times (because your roommate doesn’t care if you skip your 8AM quite like your mother does). I learned how to function independently of adults while still being a kid.

I’ve finished the first chapter of the rest of my life and the first thing that comes to mind is a quote from Dr. Suess: “Oh, the places you’ll go…”

Because if what has happened to me here in these two semesters alone is an indication of what’s to come, I’m excited to see the places I’ll go from here, the people I’ll meet, the classes I’ll take and the lessons I’ll learn.

These are worth more words than I could ever write:

move-in day! back when I was organized.

first weekend we discovered fat cat! our go-to jazz club.

halloween in the west village!

one of the best things i did this year: photographer for the women in music holiday party featuring josh madden!

getting stuck in big crowds and being pushed around by the NYPD during the christmas tree lighting ceremony!

stolen dining hall desserts for one of our many floor parties.

best discovery: hudson river park!

This semester may in fact result in my death. Interning at College Magazine, having a radio show on campus, working at the writing center, fulfilling my responsibilities as a member of a sorority, along with tackling endless amounts of school work makes me feel like I’m running a marathon, and end of the semester marks the finish line. I don’t know why I decided to participate in a variety of other activities, perhaps to replace precious snoozing time with “responsibility” and to make any free time to hang out with friends impossible.  As each day passes, I try to remember if I took a shower or ate any form of nourishment in the past few days. I ask myself, “Is this what it feels like to live in the ‘real world’?” If it is, I’m not into it.

Will any of these extra activities make a difference in my future? When employers skim over my resume and see “Radio DJ”, will they even care? I certainly freaking hope so.  Maybe if I document all the nights I could have gone to a party but instead was a responsible adult and actually did work, employers would reward me with….I don’t know…a job?