new chapter

My life has changed dramatically in the last month. First off, I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Musical Arts with emphasis in Voice and secondary emphasis in Business from the University of Oklahoma.

..okay so I realize that's really long. Basically I got a degree saying that I can sing and that I kind of know what I'm doing as far as the business world is concerned.

But graduating from college is more than just saying that I have a degree. It also means leaving behind everything I've known for the past 4 1/2 years of my life. Well really more than that. More like the past 16 1/2 years of my life. I've been doing school since I can remember, and the thought of not having to worry about grades or tests or homework is a pretty crazy thought for me.

Graduating college means that now my life can truly begin, and honestly, thinking about that is incredibly scary. As awesome as it is knowing I never have to worry about going to class ever again, the thought of actually being on my own is intimidating to say the least. However, knowing that I can take my life anywhere at this point is incredibly liberating. I can go and do anything I wish, and I know that I will be successful as long as I do my absolute best, regardless of the outcome.

With that liberation comes sadness that I will no longer be spending all of my time with the people that I met and loved throughout my college years. They will no doubt be a huge part of my life forever. I will treasure the moments I had with all of them for the rest of my life, and nothing can replace those memories.

Since graduation, I have started working as a receptionist at a law firm in Oklahoma City. What makes it really nice is that my mom works here. So to be completely honest, my real adult life has barely begun. I still have that cushion to fall back on until it's time to move on and accomplish the dreams that I have had for my life. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me.

"All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney

So, I've been thinking a lot lately about what my life will be like in the next coming months. The fact that I will be graduating from college in December has made me start thinking in a different way. I'm trying to live in the moment and really have a lot of fun in my last semester, but at the same time, I can't help but wonder what comes next.

Since I finished my senior year, I've had a lot of friends graduate from college already, but most of them have stayed in the area. Today was the first day that I've really had to say goodbye to a good friend. I am pretty sad about this, but I guess I had better get used to it because this will be my reality in about 6 months. This is just the time in my life that I never thought would actually get here.

To be honest, I'm really scared to graduate. I don't know what my life will be like after college is over. I have really big dreams and big goals, and I really want to go places and see the world. Be able to support myself while still doing what I've loved doing since I was a little girl. But it scares me to death thinking about my life changing in a big way like that. I've loved every part of growing up and becoming my own person. I know I can do anything that I set my mind to, but actually getting up and doing it is incredibly frightening.

I've got to remember: courage is what separates the talkers from the doers. Courage is what I'm going to need to accomplish my goals. I've got some time before my new life begins, but I can't help but think about it all the time. I'm trying to start planning a little bit, but how can you really plan for something so big?