Irma was tough on many Floridians, and Central Floridians were no exception: there was no power, fallen trees, and a serious shift away from normal day-to-day activities like work and school.
With the closure of Orange County Public Schools and countless universities across the county, I'm sure students were excited about a little reprieve. But how good can a vacation be when you're stuck indoors with no air conditioning and 90 degree weather?
I most certainly was not exempt from this abnormal shift in routine. While I did spend most of last week catching up on some reading, playing around on the guitar, and engaging in some much needed family time, I was surprised to find myself itching to get back to normal.
Everyday I was praying for an announcement from my university that classes were resuming and I could finally get back into the swing of things. Unfortunately, that took way longer than I think anyone anticipated.
My college, Full Sail University in Winter Park, features an accelerated curriculum so our semesters are only a month long. This means over the course of this month, we missed out on half of our scheduled class days. I'm still amazed by how disappointed this makes me.
I can't help but wonder if maybe I'm the only person who is feeling this way.
This got me thinking a lot about how returning to school at the age of 25 may have been the best choice I've ever made. I frequently find myself feeling a little out of place in a room full of fellow students fresh out of high school, eager to take on life head first.
The one good thing to come out of Irma was a realization about myself. That everything I thought I knew about when you should go to college versus when you do is actually pretty ridiculous.
What really made me realize this was upon returning to classes, I was one of the only students who was itching to return and had actually dedicated time to school related work over the mini-vacation.
At that moment I realized that my age is an advantage. I am more dedicated, diligent and focused than I would have been doing this at the age of 18.
By deciding to pursue school because I wanted to, not because society told me it was the appropriate next step, I ended up putting myself into my work in a way I didn't even know I was capable of.
I am hopeful that in sharing this story about how I went from being completely embarrassed to immensely proud of my trajectory will inspire someone like me. Thinking you're too old for something because thats what everyone else thinks is just silly. So get out there, and do your thing!