Stuck. Lost. A deer in headlights. Yep, you guessed it — this is what it feels like post-graduation. Welcome to life after college! A time in every girl’s life when Ramen Noodles are no longer considered an acceptable food group, and the only assigned reading you need to worry about is on your Bloglovin’ dashboard. A time of mixed emotions, big decisions and an ever-evolving (then devolving, then evolving again) sense of self. It’s barely been a year since I crossed the stage and entered my own not-really-a-student-not-really-an-adult choose your own adventure, and in that time I’ve realized that I’m perfectly okay with being lost in transition. You should be too. Here’s why:

We are young. Alright alright, let’s not set the world on fire or do anything drastic here. Yes, twenty-two might seem light-years away from sixteen (and not that far away from thirty), but in the grand scheme of things it’s still pretty fresh. Take risks, try something new! As scared as I was after graduating, I picked myself up and moved halfway across the country because I knew there wouldn’t be another time in my life when I could do so so freely. We were made to be resilient. We were made to be brave.

Listen, I’m not  saying you need to pack up your things and hitch a ride out of town, but it’s important to remember that as a twenty-something you have room to be adventurous, whatever that might mean to you. Always wanted to see the world? Go somewhere! Want to pursue one of your passions? Chase after one! So you might not know what you want to be when you grow up (when is that going to happen anyway?). Hell, you might not even know what you want to be right now, but that’s okay! You’re figuring it out by taking the world for a test run. People always reminisce about wanting to be young again, and this is exactly why. Relish in it.

The world is an oyster. It’s ours to enjoy, but when you lose the comfort that comes with structure (i.e. school) and realize that life is now entirely up to you, it quickly turns into oyster pureé (which would probably be disgusting). With endless possibilities and countless roads to travel, being a new graduate can be overwhelming. Where will you live, what will you do, who will you meet, and how will you survive everything that comes along with adulthood? Student loan payments, job searches, long hours, paying dues, maintaining some semblance of a social life…Stop. Breathe. As a wise man once said, “everything’s gonna be alright.” This is the beginning of something entirely yours, some kind of wonderful. Rather than be anxious about the infinity that’s in front of you, be excited about it! You’re in charge and you know what you’re doing, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.  All of the challenges, all of the opportunities. You’ve got this.

Life after college can be tough. The four years I spent on campus have been the best of my life so far, and I really do miss everything about it (minus the papers). But if I learned anything in school (aside from how to effectively pull an all-nighter), I learned that I have the capacity to make it through anything. And although I may feel like I’m still in limbo, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

Are you still stuck in limbo after college?

Michelle is a 23-year-old university graduate with a degree in worldly things and a head in the clouds. She currently resides in a big bright Canadian city where she is surrounded by lovely people and pretty things. Michelle writes about what fills her thoughts, captures her eye and steals her heart. She loves love, music, film, photography, food and fashion but is also into global issues & contemporary politics. To follow her passion for love and life, visit http://ltrstonoone.com
Michelle Sammut has 2 post(s) on Love Twenty