Goodbye College

One thing no one prepares you for when you graduate is leaving the college culture.

Things I miss about college:

• Walking into people's dorms/apartments uninvited but welcomed.
• Going out to eat and being able to walk.
• Walking, in general.
• Hiking and waterfalls in Ithaca.
• Study groups.
• A big quiet library and computer lab and the convenience of having both - right there.
• Something to do every Friday and Saturday without fail.
• My friends love and passion for music.

With work being as time consuming as it is, I know I haven't been taking the time to appreciate where I am. Some of my friends from high school recently moved to Arizona and were visiting last weekend. My friend Tara and I talked about finding a job. It made me realize that I am very lucky to be working and happy to be in a management position. I like doing something that matters.

Today, I have to take off early from work to go to my other part-time job working for a promotions company called Supernova. I coordinate and organize one concert a month for this company. I really love it. I wish that it could be more of a full time position because it's what I want to do. Sometimes I worry that I won't get to where I want to be, and I'm losing sight of what I want. I don't know if this is a problem for all graduates. But working for Supernova allows me to remember that music is my passion and I want to be as close to it as possible. I love the smell of concert venues and the idea of music bringing people together. When I start to think about working in music and working side by side with people who create music I get excited and even nervous. It's crazy the emotional impact that music has on me.

Unfortunately my boss called me and reminded me that tonight is Warped Tour in Buffalo. It made me sad that I had forgotten. I haven't been to Warped Tour in years but every year I sort of plan to go. I have no idea what it would be like now. Even as an 18 year old going, I remember feeling like the oldest person there. I can feel that my time has passed for just going to shows as a kid, and the experiences I've had in my life are leading me to having a job with music.

My friend Joyce told me the other night, as she's uncertain about her future as well, "We will all get what we want eventually, it just takes longer for some of us to get there." I think she's right.