A year ago I could never have imagined where I’d end up. A year ago, I was a senior who had a vague idea of what I wanted to study and didn't even know if I would get into the right classes for the semester. This past year I’ve been through so much, especially since moving to college. In my short few weeks of living at SMU, I have discovered a home away from home. I have made a second family, I have gone on so many new adventures and met so many people of incredibly diverse backgrounds. College has been a whole new world I could never have imagined.

These adventures life drags us through can be overwhelming at times. They leave us shaken, struggling, bruised and sometimes scarred. Despite the fear in the moment, these adventures make us stronger. We learn how to steer through the tides and rough waves, even enjoy them at times. Through the waves, we discover something in ourselves we never thought was there. Every once in a while, however, we need a moment to take a break from such tidal waves.

During the long weekend, I returned home to my family and friends to take time to reflect on my journey so far. This a time for a personal recharge to make me feel better. When we stop to reflect, we get time to reconnect us. We reconnect to our core being, where we’ve come from, where we are now and where we truly want to be in the years to come. These ideas grow fuzzy in the tsunamis of life. In the middle of sink or swim changes, we can forget who we are and lose sight of what we want out of life. It’s during our foggy states that we grow frustrated, confused and begin to feel lost and out of touch with the world around us. It’s vital in times of mental haziness to spend quality time with ourselves.

So when life gets slow and you don’t know what to do, take it all in. Take the time to clear the fog in your thoughts. Breathe in your life so far and realize how much you’ve accomplished. Acknowledge that you’re still on this journey and that your life is waiting for you to continue with an open heart and mind. Most importantly, realize that you are the captain of your existence; whatever happens, it’s up to you to steer your ship and complete your own journey, at your pace.