Chapters

So much happens when life runs it course. Each blink fades into a haze, and everyday that passes feels quicker than the last. When I close my eyes I can still picture my photographs taped to my dorm and the feeling of the NYC sun on my skin. 

Chapters close and parts of the book linger. Three months post-grad feels like a blur. Thinking about the memories and life I once lived as an undergrad floods my heart with warmth. The security blanket is ripped right under you. Friends scatter to different boroughs and some to different states. It's crazy to see parts of your comfort come to a rest. The book is left on the shelf as another one awaits for you to open anew. 

Graduating college is weird because you take a lot of what you learned, but leave others that don't fit. It's all learn as you go. New state. New job. New life. Though the transition from student to "the next thing" has been rough seeing family has been a different kind of warmth. 

I look around and see that though everything has changed; the feeling of being around family stays the same. My heart skips a beat when I see my baby cousin run around playing. He's laughing as my aunt chases him around who he better knows as grandma. 

Life in Colorado is nothing like life in NYC. But I know that. I walk out of my house in the morning and see to my right the mountains, and when the sun goes down the colorful sky intertwines. My mountain escapes bring me the most joy. There is something about a camp fire burning your leg hairs and surrounded laughter that define gratitude.

I've realized that I'll never have just one home. Not one place feels like me- because I want all the places. I want the chaos of moving, traveling, and disconnecting. I want many jobs in different area codes. I am so grateful for the tools college gave me to understand what it is that I truly want.

The days I spend at work fuel my soul. I listen to others and connect with amazing people working hard for themselves and for other people. Though I just started my position I know that many lessons I will learn will just strengthen my character, and the person that will be moving to Kosovo in February. 

The Peace Corps has been on my list for as long as I can remember. I always knew that starting a 9-5 and not leaving it was just not me. I knew that settling down wasn't something in my cards post-grad. I am not sure where this journey will go, but I know where I am heading. Everyone keeps asking me if I am scared but I think we tend to misread excitement with fear. 

4 years end, but I am so excited for the next 4 and the many more.