The end of an era

So while today was the start of classes for everyone on campus, it was also a monumental day for me in that it was the first day in 20 months where I was not in the Recruitment and Student Life office at 8:30am. My ridiculously long co-op placement-turned-summer job officially ended at 4:30pm on September 6, and today I felt a little lost.

I don’t transition well – this much I know. When I first accepted this co-op placement in January of 2010, I was so stressed. My parents were concerned about co-op (the thought I was quitting school), I was freaking out and dealing with being bad at a program I had thought from the time I was 15 I wanted to be in, and my routine was getting shaken up – when you work full time, you don’t get to take naps in the middle of the day, or make random road trips in the middle of the week, because if you do, you won’t get paid.

But, like most cliches, it was the decision that was hard to make that was the most rewarding. I spent the first four months learning the ropes, and cultivating friendships with people I will never forget. I then spent 12 months working my ass off, learning new things everyday, and becoming more confident in my professional abilities. This May marked another change, in converting into a summer student with reduced roles, working with my best friend every day, and finally getting to have a normal summer job, where I worked hard(ish) from 8:30-4:30, but then never took my work home with me, which was awesome.

And now it’s done, and to be honest, I’m so sad. While I am ridiculously excited for what this semester will bring, walking out of the Recruitment office broke my heart. I’m so glad my first day as a student was crazy-busy (not with class, mind you), because otherwise I would have been totally bummed.

Apparently, I’m not so good at letting go. But this will be the best semester yet, and the point of this dramatic blog was to encourage you to get involved in things that put you out of your comfort zone. Sign up for a co-op, even if it doesn’t sound like exactly what you picture yourself doing, because you’ll never know how great it could be. Join a club where you know absolutely no one, because you’re guaranteed to make some friends that way! And never stop looking for the next “big thing.” As soon as you do, life will get boring.

So have a fabulous semester everyone! I can’t wait to see how phenomenal your experiences will be.