We all wait for the day we can finally move into our new life and start fresh with new friends and new experiences in college. Coming from a small town in Pennsylvania, moving to NYC for college has been a dream of mine for as long as I was able to think for myself. New York was my missing puzzle piece in my experience. The time was finally here, but that piece just wasn’t fitting right yet.
In the beginning, I struggled to find that thing. That thing I could rely on, and always count on to make my day. For some people, it’s a book, a certain food, even a comfort movie, but for me, I found that thing in coffee shops (yeah, I know so original). It doesn’t matter what it is for you, but I would one thing I am taking away from my first month in college is to find that one thing that makes you happy no matter what. Waking up and finding the new coffee shop I want to try that day is something I can count on to start my day right. The interaction with the barista, the smell of espresso, the sound of the beans grinding, that first sip, the environment created in these coffee shops around the city just bring an overwhelming warming sense to my heart — and luckily in NYC the options are endless. Although coffee is my happy hobby, find your blend of what makes you happy and go with it.
It’s common to get caught up in the social scene in school, especially in NYC, and yes, don’t get me wrong, that is a crucial part of college, but don’t be ashamed to stay in with a good bowl of pasta and a movie on a Saturday night. I have learned to say no to plans, and that it is ok to need time to yourself. Burnout is real and it is more than okay to be in tune with yourself and have that self-care night. For me personally, this was hard to wrap my head around because I always saw college as an endless party, but this isn’t a Netflix original movie. When I allowed myself to set those boundaries, and have those realizations, I started to really adapt to my new reality. There is something beautiful and comforting about a routine, or just doing something that reminds you of home, and for me, that is 100% a cozy movie night with self-care and pasta.
Finally, all I can say is take your time. Allow yourself to rest, and it’s ok not to click into a place on day one. We all fit into the puzzle one way or another, but sometimes there is a piece that we just can’t fit in until the end. It’s ok to be that piece. It just means it will be that much more rewarding once the piece gets into place. While I thought NYC was the missing puzzle piece, I realized that I was first a piece that had to find a place, and once I did, NYC became the picture for which I fit, and college became something I could take in and appreciate the opportunities in front of me. Choose your picture, find the puzzle pieces, and don’t get too frustrated when they don’t all fit right away. When you least expect it the solution will appear right in front of you, and even if sometimes you try the wrong piece and it doesn’t fit, guess what, there is always another one.