The Ebb and Flow of Life

    Life is anything but easy, nothing is the same, and routines are always broken, schedules are always changed. Much like a vast sea full of ever-changing currents, crashing waves, and the push and pull of the tides, the balance of life is not so easily tamed. 

    A balance is sometimes faltered by those who imagine themselves besting the concept, including myself. Upon graduating from high school in 2020, I was also a fully licensed cosmetologist. Due to COVID-19, I decided to take a break before college, which led to an eighteen-month hiatus. Shortly after, I decided to return to school, but I was determined to complete it within the original timeframe of a gap year. Although I succeeded that goal, it was, for lack of a better word, a nightmare. As an extrovert, I was not prepared for the semesters that exceeded full-time standards by more than 25%. I went from traveling to different states every weekend to not even being able to see my friends, all of this for a GPA. Something about which people seem to care so much that they expect you to push pause on life just to exceed. 

    Upon obtaining my associate's degree, I graduated with a 3.9 GPA and was awarded Summa Cum Laude honors. This came with great sacrifice, as I had to become a recluse to do so. I was rarely seen, and did not run my own errands. One thing I am ecstatic about on December 20th is finally being able to live my life again, without having to work around multiple other schedules, and choosing to prioritize my own time constraints rather than those around me.