It's like December 31st, only in May...

Cheers! To me, summer time is like New Year’s Eve all over again. Of course it’s about five times as hot and we trade in the champagne for an ice-cold beer, but I think the spirit remains the same. It is a season of change, of transitioning from chapter 1 to chapter 2. With one year of college behind me, I’m reflecting on all I have learned and how I plan to apply that to the present. The one thing I’ve been thinking a lot about today is self-awareness. For me, that is being in tune with your goals, your wishes, your habits, your characteristics, and your beliefs. If you take a look at my previous post, you might be able to tell that I was blogging from a place of fear and ambiguity. I felt confused and lost, and really had no idea what I wanted in terms of love, jobs, goals, life etc. It was terrible feeling that way. So I tried to do what every one of my heroes does when he or she wants a scene-change. I built a bridge, and got over it.  

            Upon being back in Houston, I gave myself some time at home. I allowed myself to be clueless for a bit, and trusted that with time, answers would come to me. And boy, did they! I’m not quite sure where or when, but after talking to my parents, catching up on some much needed sleep, and laying out in the sun for more than 3 minutes, I felt infinitely better. My mind was at ease, and soon the anxiety I had experienced after saying goodbye to my first year of college turned into excitement for the summer in my hometown. I’ve caught up with old friends, spent nearly every night at home with the folks, and have relished in the luxury that is my own room again.

            I decided to take all of the energy spent focusing on the what if's of the past and put it on the what next's of the future. Today, like December 31^st, I drew up a list of goals for the summer. Drumroll please. 

1. Nail down an internship (Rare for a freshman, but we're going to pretend it's not) 
2. Cook more at home (poison control's phone number already on speed-dial)
3. Learn 2 new languages (YEAH, we'll see) 
4. Read more novels of literary merit (magazines can't always count *sobs*)
5. Blog more (and when I say that, I mean blog more about the world around me. I can't keep using this thing as a diary. Goodness... there are so many other interesting things out there)
6. Be a boss-ass b***h (My friends tell me this when I need a little confidence booster. I recently realized that I'm almost a twenty-something year old. I need that booster)

And well, that is where I am now. I feel hungry for new experiences, excited for what's to come, and happy that time moves forward, rather than the other way around. For those in the position I was in when leaving school, fear not! Truly. Cry a little bit, rest a little bit, but don't take too long! Because that same thing that might be giving you trouble now could actually be an opportunity for you to learn more about yourself and be a strong boss-ass b***h. And who would want to miss out on that? 

Xoxo, 

Ale