For as long as I can remember, my family and I have watched the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas day. However, what used to simply be a nostalgic classic is now becoming one of the most applicable films to my life (despite its release date of 1946).

In a little over six months, I will be graduating college with more than just an English degree under my belt. Since coming to Texas A&M, I have met friends who celebrate me like no other and have had experiences that I would have never dreamed of. My college experience has been (and continues to be) nothing short of magical. And yet…I think about the future so often.

The protagonist of It's a Wonderful Life is adventure-seeking dreamer, George Bailey. Born into the small, sleepy town of Bedford Falls, he vows to one day go to college, travel the world, and live a thrilling life. Like me, George has his eyes set on an exciting (albeit daunting) future… but the thrill he always imagined his life would be never comes.

Due to many unexpected circumstances (from his father passing to the Great Depression), George ends up being forced to stay in Bedford Falls— the one place he wanted to leave.

I've always been a little bit of a dreamer. As a quintessential enneagram 7, I've always desired a thrilling life. Adventure. Purpose. Romance. Productivity. Success.

I don't like monotony…at all. However, six months into a global pandemic and six months until graduation, my life has become strangely monotonous, and I have been strangely okay with that. Here's why: "No man is a failure who has friends."

As a senior, you are probably thinking A LOT about your post-grad plans. Will you enjoy them? Perhaps you are like me and find yourself daydreaming about the crumbling economy and job-market of 2020. Where will you go? What will you do? You've come this far, senior. You can't fail now!

But what is a wonderful life? A good job? The absence of a global pandemic? The existence of a great economy? Sure, these are all good things, but what makes up a "wonderful life"?

People.

George Bailey didn't have adventure, travel, a crazy-thrilling job, or even the "best four years of his life." However, when he begins to see what his town of Bedford Falls would be like without him he realizes that, despite the ordinary droll of his town, he had an extraordinary community.

If you are an Aggie, you probably agree that the city of College Station isn't that cool. You will also probably agree that it is the people of College Station and Texas A&M that make this town so special. I lived in College Station during the lockdown and found that, even in a global pandemic (and the lack of date parties, formals, and football), I still had my amazing best friends for roommates. Yes, I was scared of sickness and the unknown and the indefinite future. But I had friends. And I was happy.

I don't know where you will be post-graduation, and I doubt you do either. But what I do know is that whether it is the 1930 or 2020, unexpected circumstances will continue to be a part of our lives. However, no matter the year, we must continue to prioritize our friends-- not just in the four years of college, not just in College Station (or Bedford Falls), but anywhere and everywhere. Senior, don't let the idealization of college and expectations (yours AND the worlds) of the future cloud your vision of what makes life extraordinarily

wonderful— people you love.