big sister blog

of post-grad, that is 😉

lots has happened since i launched big sis and dipped. sorry, but to be fair i graduated college and have been in my post-grad honeymoon phase!!! it’s now been a little over a month since graduation day, so letting y’all know what i’ve been up to and what my biggest takeaways have been thus far.

the weeks leading up to graduation and the weeks that followed afterwards quite literally have not felt real. i’m not sure if it hasn’t (or ever will) hit me, or if i’m just unable to feel anything at all anymore (probably from the l-theanine i’ve been taking thats worked magic for stress and has made me so zen it feels as if it’s impossible to feel any emotion other than calm and collected, it’s basically nature’s lexapro). 

all jokes aside, it probably could be the fact that i am wholeheartedly content with how my college experience and life in general has unfolded. i absolutely loved living seconds away from my best friends, making lifelong memories every day, and not having to worry about bills and finding a full-time job. but, there comes a point where all the fun and games just aren’t as fun anymore, because everything, no matter how good it is, always comes to an end. as much as i loved my college lifestyle, i was craving a life of routine, independence, and a focus on health and wellness instead of debating whether i should go out 3 or 4 days a week. 

so yeah, in the weeks leading up to and following my college graduation, i pretty much was at peace, and of course feeling very, very fulfilled and grateful. so, don’t feel bad about not having a full-blown meltdown at graduation, and you definitely don’t have to send yourself into a spiral thinking you’re abnormal and unable to feel anything. sometimes, you just know the time is right and are completely okay and at peace with that. other times, well maybe you are a sociopath (kidding). 

i will say that the entirety of my senior year, especially my last semester and last few weeks leading up to graduation, were some of the most fulfilling times of my life. i’ve never been more present and adamant about absorbing every second of being a college student. i’ll admit, there were lots of times throughout my prior three years where i longed to be home for breaks, and since i had the privilege to drive, left much more than i should’ve to go home on the weekend. not that i don’t love my family, but i’d say dwelling on going home instead of constantly being in the moment and taking advantage of this time is definitely a small regret of mine- try not to make the same mistake. 

you truly don’t know what you have until it’s gone, so knowing i had very limited time left throughout my senior year left me with no other option but to be completely and wholeheartedly present, whether it was completing miserable assignments or dancing like no one was watching in a room full of people in a pregame. my one piece of advice for anyone in a similar situation is to be obnoxiously aware about being present during these times, especially the ones you’ll likely never get to relive. as a matter of fact, make it a point to truly make the most of every single moment 🙂 

now for the weeks following graduation… life was quite literally non-stop. i spent my last days on campus solidifying all our “lasts” at our favorite places in syracuse during the day and bonding with fellow seniors at our beloved dive bar at night. i moved out of my apartment all by myself and drove home in a car where “vehicle overweight” was flashing the entire ride home. i went on lots of trips, including a girls trip to san diego with mom and a “reunion” with my college friends (yup just a week after we left school, talk about attachment issues) to the jersey shore. after all that and lots of catching up (aka going to our favorite bars every weekend) with my hometown friends, i’m finally focusing on finding a job… sigh. oh and posting on bsb of course. 

i just want to add in that lots of my peers went (and of course, flaunted, who wouldn’t???) their post-grad trips abroad. i honestly love seeing all the different countries and the dozens of bomb, vacation-glow selfies. but i can’t lie, i have gotten a tiny bit of fomo from not partaking in the post-grad, month-long europe trip. its easy to beat yourself up for not being in europe exploring and instead laying in bed with your dogs trying to find something to do, but once again, the importance of expressing gratitude should never be overlooked. everyone, no matter where you are, is so lucky to have this time of our lives to wind down after working so hard for four years of college. the only thing we can do is take advantage of it to the best of our ability, so i’m using this time to better myself and form healthy habits that will remain consistent when i get back into a busier lifestyle.

anyways, it’s all honestly super overwhelming, but i’m always trying to stay positive and appreciate the beauties of this phase of my life, the honeymoon phase of post-grad. as much as i’d love to ride the summer out with no responsibilities and stress, there’s always a voice in the back of my mind telling me to do my research and apply to anything and everything, especially because this job market is rough. that’s not to say i’m not taking this time to do anything else that’s beneficial to my wellbeing, though. i’ve been going grocery shopping and cooking healthy meals for my family, staying active every day and getting those steps in whenever i can, reading more (lots of self-help books but would love to get into fiction), and spending time with my friends before they go off to law school, full-time jobs, and what not… once again, sigh. 

the main point of this was to give y’all an update after being mia for months, and to give a somewhat relatable pov of what graduating college really feels like. not everything is sunshine and rainbows, but i will admit thats what most of it is, even if you’re not backpacking abroad 🙂 i’m excited to see what the rest of post-grad has in store for and of course, will update y’all soon!