One of my favorite things about this semester was getting the Alligator (our school newspaper) every Friday to read Carly's opinion column. Her writing has always been one of her most creative outlets (I say one of because she is possibly one of the most creative people I know and has a plethora of outlets - writing, dancing, acting, improv, gardening, painting inspiring treasure boxes that raise money for good causes ... oh wait! We never followed through with that one...) As I picked up the alligator for the last time on Friday, it brought tears to my eyes reading her outlook on what this past four years has been for her. I can hardly believe (and have done a good job suppressing) the realization that our college career is finally coming to an end. Graduating high school, I felt sure that I was setting out to conquer "the world" but when I pulled up to this limbo land they called "college" with my colorfully-striped life crammed into my trunk, I realized I wasn't in the real world at all. What real world would consider it normal to eat cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner? To donate plasma to earn an extra $50 to go on that road trip to the LSU game? To consume copious amounts of Guava Rockstars and pull all-nighters cramming for exams and still feel accomplished? To spend your afternoons vicariously through a 2-year-old or hidden behind an alter ego named Amy Aerobics? What world grants you one week off every spring to set aside your inhibitions and let lose somewhere tropical where every drink must possess an umbrella and every body must be bikini-clad? Where else can you spend 3 out of 4 years adopting an alias of someone who is over the age of 21 just to have a nightlife but yet using your own I.D. didn't even warrant you access to the public library? What other environment is conducive to falling in love? out of love? lost on love? in love again? Where else can you live with 3 of your best friends for four years and still be dancing? Picking up Carly's column for the last time was just one of the things I will be doing for the last time as my college career (if you can even call it a "career") chapter closes. With no strings attached and no idea where I am headed this time I graduate, I think I am going to pack up my potential and all that I've learned, grab a cute pair of shoes and set out to change a few things. I am going to start a new career as a neonatal nurse. I'm pretty excited about being in the business of saving lives! I think I will shop at Whole Foods and take up the art of cooking. Try to eat balanced meals and sleep more hours in a day. I might try reopening my savings account that closed itself 4 years ago. I'm going to write more letters and try my hardest to keep in touch with the ones I won't see everyday anymore. I will seize the day and never stop smiling. Amy Aerobics might be hanging up her Asics but I might just have a few 2-year-olds of my own one day. I will still take a week off (atleast) once a year and travel to an amazing destination, bikini-clad and fruity drink with umbrella in hand but this time I might try to hold on to my inhibitions. I might even give this whole love thing a chance again....
I digress.
I posted Carly's last column but to my surprise (a fabulous surprise at that!) Carly has crossed over and created a blog to continue her writing. She is acquired a lot of fans (me being her #1, of course!) who claim to "religiously read her column" and I think her Perfectly Imperfect blog is the perfect new outlet to continue her creative column. carlyhallam.blogspot.com
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