Now that we’ve established that the first half of my college experience was essentially a real-life production of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” I think it’s now time to highlight some of the better days since then.
In February 2022, my toxic relationship came to an end—a very ugly, vengeful, and grudge-bearing end. Though I felt very sad and betrayed in the immediate days following the break-up, I whole-heartedly believe that this situation was the best thing that has ever happened to me looking back now. I think that this particular break-up was the first time in a long time that I felt genuinely free and unapologetically myself.
The next few months were rocky, but in a good way. I focused all of my attention on healing. I started going to therapy, interacting with others more, and stepping out of my comfort zone. I finally started going out and pursuing new friendships. I also worked on strengthening my current friendships and relationships with my family members. I even started to be more active on campus. I spent more time partaking in HerCampus activities and I worked closely with some professors in my major department. Overall, things were looking up. I felt alive, which sounds cliché but is the only way I can describe the change in my soul since the break-up.
Summer 2022: easily the best summer of my life. By this point, I had put in a lot of work to heal and find myself. I allowed myself to enjoy my summer and live it up for the sole purpose of making unforgettable memories. That summer, I did just that. I got a great job that I genuinely enjoyed working at every day. I made a bunch of new friends and lived every day like it was my last. That summer was more than healing for me, it was complete restoration.
We’re now at the point of the first semester of senior year—fall 2022. This was definitely a stressful time, but it was also rewarding. I happened to meet my best friends this semester. The blooming of our friend group came naturally, and I initially had no idea that these people would soon turn out to be some of my favorite people in the whole world. Prior to meeting them, I had been excited to finally graduate college and move on with my life onto bigger and better things. And while I still do want to explore what else this life has to offer me, I no longer feel impatient to walk across that stage.
It’s currently the end of my second semester of senior year and I am about 3 weeks away from graduation. I wish I can slow time down and have a chance to spend more time with the people I love before our lives change forever. And yes, I know that my friends and I will still visit each other and all that, but it would be foolish to deny that things will be different. It saddens me that I only had met my best friends one semester ago, instead of four years ago. It saddens me that I only got to be the CC of my school’s HerCampus chapter for a year. It saddens me that I soon have to say my goodbyes to all my favorite professors and classmates. It saddens me that in 3 short weeks, all of the comfort and familiarity of the life I have known for 4 years will end. What saddens me the most, however, is that I spend so much time thinking about how sad I am for graduation day instead of being grateful and present in the now.
My college experience was unforgettable, and it was something that I will hold near and dear to me for the rest of my life because it had such a profound impact on my development as a person. I want to end this with a quote from The Office (full circle moment because of the Scranton reference). My favorite character from The Office, Andy, said this quote many years ago on the show during one of the last few episodes, and it has stuck with me ever since.
“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”
Thank you for reading.
Jessica Grigorian
HC Scranton, Campus Correspondent