Dear Seniors,
You finally made it! I remember being a senior and I couldn’t wait to leave and be “independent,” but I also had no plan so I was really stressed about what to do after I graduated. The most logical choice seemed to be college, it’s what most people do and it would probably set me up the best for the rest of my life. I thought and prayed about what I should do after graduation and I finally came to the decision that I wanted to go to culinary school and eventually open a bakery. It still fit the “normal” plan for a graduating senior and I was content with that decision, but if I’m being honest, I didn’t pick that because I was super excited about it or because I thought that was going to make my life infinitely better. I picked it because I thought that I was supposed to go to school like a normal kid while still doing something that I loved. I toured some schools and took some classes, but there was something missing. I was missing that feeling that I thought I would feel when I finally chose a plan for my life. I wanted to feel completely overjoyed and ecstatic to start on this new chapter of my life, but I was just content. It was a good plan, but it just wasn’t THE plan. After a lot of talking to friends about what they were going to do, I was left feeling like I wasn’t making the right choice. All of my friends were going to a four year college and they all had plans for their lives and I thought that because my choice was different, it was bad. I struggled with this for a little more than a month before my amazing sister told me about the World Race. I immediately felt that feeling that I wanted to feel when I knew the path for my life. I was completely overjoyed and I was so ecstatic to embark on this adventure. I finally felt like I knew where I belonged. The World Race might not be the answer for your post-graduation plans, but don’t ever let yourself settle because you feel like you aren’t in the majority. Everyone makes your post-graduation plans such a big deal, but its not. You’re probably 18 or 19 right now and the choice you make for college or for other plans, will not make or break the rest of your life. Life is made up of millions of choices, so it doesn’t really matter whether you “mess up” on this one, because the only thing that really matters is the combination of all the choices you make and how you react to them. It’s okay to change your mind and it’s okay to not know. Going on the World Race was the best decision I’ve ever made and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve learned so many things that college could never teach me. Society might pressure you into following a certain path, but nothing will be better for you than the thing that makes you the most happy. I know this is super cliche and I’m not saying that college isn’t a good option. (After all I am going to college when I get home) I just needed to hear someone tell me that it was okay to not be “normal” and I want to be that for someone that needs it. So as you are stressed and deciding what your plan is going to be, just remember that this choice isn’t life or death. Change your mind, make mistakes, do something spontaneous, but whatever you decide to do, just make sure it’s something you love.
