It's week three of junior year and I already feel like I'm drowning. School, working, and trying to enjoy life at the same time is a lot more than I remember.
Going into this past weekend I told myself, "I'm going to take this weekend for myself".
So that's what I did. After the crazy of Saturday passed, I went to bed early that night (after a Netflix date with myself of course) and rose happily on Sunday morning. How much sweeter is Sunday when you have Monday off? And it's sunny & 75? I mean come on. So I called up Anna, and we went to the pool. Yes, the pool in Sept. Best decision of the day. We talked and laughed and enjoyed the afternoon. Following with a girl’s night of course. Pizza and ice cream? Sign me up always!
Then Monday rolled up and I finally got out of bed at 10 a.m. and decided that it was a beach day. Okay maybe not a true beach day because we are about 5 hours from the ocean. But a fake, man-made beach in Armuchee, Georgia will do. After a full day in the sun with great pals, we made our way to dollar taco night. Classic Rome, Georgia move. And man was it the perfect day.
This weekend is just what I needed going into the next few weeks of the semester. With tests, projects, work events, dinners, and so much more coming up, it's so important to take time for yourself. And trust me, I'm the worst at that. As someone whose love language is acts of service, I tend to give more of myself then I need to and find myself deprived of alone time and energy.
Something big for me this year is to start saying no. Saying no to things that are unnecessary, things that will over-extend me, and things I don't really need to be doing. I say yes to so much, that I find myself in a mound of things I probably shouldn't be doing. The people-pleaser in me might struggle a little, so if you see me, tell me I'm doing a good job please. But I need to take junior year to be selfish. To get myself ready for internships, for life beyond the bubble, and for me. I'm going to be on my own for a while (aka the rest of my life once I leave Berry) and I need to be prepared for that.
This past summer was the best summer of my life. It was full of family, friends, and amazing new experiences. I traveled all around the United States but also found my place at Berry. I found my people, my niche. My friends that I will hold onto for the rest of my life. And that's an amazing thing to find.
I've been mentoring a group of 15 freshmen this fall and it's been a blast. I love listening to them talk about Berry through their eyes, their experiences, and everything in between. I forgot what it was like for everything to be new again. For everything to be exciting. And I don't ever want to lose that child-like sense of adventure. These kids are helping me find that again and I'm grateful for that. They are each such beautiful gems.
Life is crazy. Very crazy. It's important to give yourself a few moments to yourself. Take a weekend trip. Take a drive. Get some ice cream (or 50 cent Frosty's at Wendy's of course). Call an old friend you haven't talked to. Call your mom. Speaking of which I need to do that today. Grab some friends for dinner in d-hall and complain about how your chicken isn't cooked and laugh because you don't expect it to be anyway.
Life is meant to be lived, and I wanna live it right.
-- Lex --