Four years ago, I stumbled on to Appalachian’s campus. I was a senior in high school and I had no idea where I wanted to go to school or what I wanted to do with my life. It seemed that literally every part of my future was uncertain, but I was okay with it.
Ultimately, my decision to attend school nearly 700 miles away from home was not based on logic, comfort or merit. My decision was based off of what felt right for me at the time, even if that meant that I would have no idea what I was getting myself into. While I was scared about the path I had chosen, I was excited about my future and the adventures it held.
Fast-forward four years later and I feel just as lost as I did back then. With graduation in just a few weeks, it is hard to imagine what life will look like outside of Boone, North Carolina. The inevitable questions of “where will I live?” and “will I have a job?” are questions that I ask myself every day, even though the answers are still unknown.
My recent struggles with the every day unknowns of my future have led me to a few realizations, though one phrase helps sum it up:
I need to be more comfortable with uncertainty.
This simple idea has served as one of the most important lessons that I have ever been taught, yet it is one of the most challenging ideologies to live by.
Going into the “real world” is something I have worked towards for years. It has meant sleepless nights, broken hearts and an overwhelming sense of anxiety. However, this time has also allowed me to form lifelong friendships and learn more about the world than I ever thought possible. Admittedly, I am terrified of what comes after graduation because for the first time in my life I have no plan for what comes next. While this a hard concept for me to grasp, it is simultaneously exhilarating.
Even if we don’t know what’s going to happen, there is nothing inherently scary about the future. There is nothing promised in the future that is more painful or scary than it already is in the present, it just appears that way. It is this fear that makes the thought of change so challenging and incomprehensible. The only real solution is to become more comfortable with change and more comfortable with the joys of the adventure.
Endings are never easy. They don’t end like they do in our favorite movies and TV shows. The truth is that things come to an end exactly the way they’re supposed to and we just have to accept it. We have to accept that most of our lives are based upon not being sure of what comes next, because it is the same uncertainty that can lead to the best moments of our lives. The certainty of an uncertain future isn’t something we should fear; it should be something we embrace.
