the best years

   Recently Garrett and I got to talking about how funny it is that people refer to their College Days as the “best years of your life”. We agreed that sure, you get your first taste of independence which is undoubtedly awesome. But with independence comes responsibilities, and with responsibilities comes work, and with work comes time management, and with time management comes stress. Thus the process of becoming an adult! Now that Garrett’s graduation from college is looming closer than either of us realized, we’ve been reflecting a lot about the past four years. Was it everything we’d hoped? Do we feel like they were the “best years of our lives”?

   Yes…and no.

   Yes because of being on your own, making new friends, utilizing time any way you want to, no chores, living in a new place, fabulous professors, freedom to choose whether you want to go to class or not, eating anything and everything whenever you feel like it, late nights, interesting courses, “cloudy” memories, funny pictures, and so much more.

   No because of all the school work, how easy it is to fall behind, no home-cooked meals, loved ones being far away, petty friend fights, late nights studying because you procrastinated, eating like crap because you’re too broke to go to the grocery store, hardly any free time, running out of gas, heavy backpacks, bad professors, icy campus sidewalks, and the list goes on.

   It was surprising to me to realize that the only thing that has really bugged me these last four years, and I mean got under my skin and frustrated me on a regular basis, was…

No free time to do what I actually wanted to do with my life.

   I work really really hard in school. I hold my work in very high esteem and it literally makes me feel bad about myself if I do poorly in my classes. Some people look at me like I’m completely nuts when they hear I spend hours upon hours doing homework every night, that I study for tests for days, that I actually do the readings for class, that I get upset if I don’t earn that A. Why? Because I am 100% paying for my education. By myself. No help. Nothing. It’s me, the scholarships I earn from my aforementioned hard work, more loans than I care to think about, and my two part-time jobs. Why would I not give every ounce of effort to my college education if I’m going to have to pay for it for the next 20 years? The best part is that I’m going to look back at these years and think, “man, I’m so glad I worked so hard in school. It opened doors for me and now I’m able to pay back those loans with a good paying job! Yay me!” Despite all this horrific suffering, I know it’ll be worth it.

   But that doesn’t stop me from daydreaming about all the things I would rather be doing. In fact, I think about my pretend hobbies on a daily basis. Garrett told me to write them down so I don’t forget them, so one day when I’m not doing homework every weeknight or studying for exams all day Sunday, I might actually be able to do them:

Learn to play the piano

Become fluent in French

Write a short story (and get it published!)

Become a yoga-pro

Learn to knit

Become a baking goddess

Study the Montana Homesteading Era (& travel to all the old ghost towns!)

Try to oil paint

Catch up on scrapbooking

Make a quilt

Plant & maintain a garden

   Just thinking about those things makes me more hopeful for the years to come! And to retouch on the subject of “best years”, I think these college years have definitely been the “best years of my life”, just like high school was, and just like my next few years will be… I have faith that the life Garrett & I are starting together will continue to top the previous “best years”. I know it. 

Prom 2008