It seems crazy to me that I'm already finishing my first year of college. I remember moving in as if it was yesterday. Two semesters have blown by in the time of half of one, and I'm sad to say that I wish I could restart this year.
A few days ago, I walked around campus and recalled memories of last semester with my friends. I remembered the way the air in my quad smelled as I walked to class during the summer, fall, and winter. It's funny to me that everything that seems so routine to me now was completely foreign a few months ago.
Although, I found myself missing all of the firsts that I experienced on my campus. The first time I walked to class or ate at my favorite spot. I can't remember the first assignment I finished for school or how it felt to finally find that perfect study time. Thankfully, I can't remember what it's like to be the lost freshman on campus, but I do sort of miss that too.
Life is full of times where we encounter our firsts, hence the saying "There's a first time for everything." Coming into college, I knew what I needed to do and what my priorities were. That was the problem: I viewed my first times as something that had to be done and not something that I could enjoy.
To me, I had to find the perfect study spot or the best dining hall on campus. I had to find my friends and the best place to go out. However, I realized that these moments were memories. Mostly funny memories of being lost on campus or looking like a stranded puppy.
The moral of the story is that there are tons of firsts in your life. Often times, we take advantage of them or view them as a nuisance. People remember the first times they did something extravagant or reckless, but sometimes you can find appreciation in the simplest things. The taste of that first cup of coffee at your soon-to-be study spot or the first time you met your now best friend — these are memories that most people forget.
But the feeling you derive from these memories is something that you should store forever. Being able to recall the simplest yet most vivid memories is an amazing thing, and you'll appreciate so much more now. Appreciate your firsts before you have to kiss the lasts goodbye.
