Today is move-in day at my college alma mater. While it was 22 years ago that I first stepped foot on that breathtaking and quaint college campus in Kentucky, I remember exactly how I felt, just like it was yesterday. The 18-year old me nervously navigating the world between MTV and teenage drama and self-realization and adulthood. I wish I could have bottled that idealistic feeling of anticipation, of sheer positivism, of total belief that this was indeed my beginning. That I had a clean slate to become who I was meant to be, and to do what I was meant to do.
These are the moments that transformed me during those first few days away from home. Moments and feelings that I still sometimes long for, but try as I might, I can never recreate. College freshmen, I hope you remember these moments and hold on to their essence. They will serve you well throughout your lifetime.
1. The face of the first complete stranger who makes you feel like you might possibly one day consider calling somewhere else, home.
2. The way the night air smells during your first walk on campus curfew-free, and the invigorating sense of freedom that you will feel during this walk - something you won't likely experience again without great sacrifice and intention.
3. The split second that you ponder doing something completely out of character, that you always wanted to do, but for some reason never did. Whether you've been held back by self-doubt, fear, or the fact that no one else believed you could, this is your chance to give it a shot.
4. Your intuition buried deep down in your gut, in your soul. Trust in it. Believe in it. It will protect you at your first off-campus party, guide you through your first mature love, and help you select a path of study that, above all, feeds your soul.
5. The blanket permission you give yourself to try. And fail. And try again. And seek. And yearn. And uncover. And discover. And do it over and over again until you finally feel comfortable in your own skin.
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