It may be the middle of the Summer, but it doesn’t stop people from asking what your plans for the future are. Everyone is constantly looking ahead, wondering what’s going to happen next. As an upcoming senior, I’ve been wondering that same thing. So much will change this year and all of the choices I make will affect the next phase of my life. After graduation, I will transition into my full adult life. I can’t help but feel a lot of different ways about it, especially excitement and anxiety. What does my future have in store? What is going to happen next?

This is my last summer of “freedom.” I will no longer live on campus or at home. My friends will not be in close proximity almost every hour of the day. I will, hopefully, be employed and able to be on my own. I will pay for all of my own bills and have to set up my own appointments. I will have to start taking care of my own taxes. I will have to be the most adult I have been so far in my life.

I’m excited because as a senior, new opportunities and experiences will be open to me. I will find another internship, which will hopefully help me find a job I love. I will get to celebrate homecoming with my friends in new ways. I will have the opportunity to work more with my professors to learn an abundance more about communications (my field of study). I will finally go on a spring break trip with some of my closest friends. It will be a year of amazing firsts and incredible lasts.

What makes me most anxious is that thought of being on my own. I know I said it before, but it’s huge. I know I’m not the only going through this monumental and pivotal point in life. That jumping point after graduation will change my life forever, and that final choice always comes with the same two questions. Who do I want to be and where do I want to go? As much as I’d like to say I have it all figured out, I have no idea.

I know what I love. I am passionate about my field of study. I love that it can provide me so many different avenues to venture. As the cliché says, “The world is my oyster.” I absolutely love it. The downside of that excitement and opportunity is the struggle of not knowing which way to go. What if I pick a job that I thought I’d love and end up hating it? I don’t want to be another millennial that they say fits the stereotype of not being loyal to my employer. I also don’t want to be stuck in a place that I don’t like either. How will I know when I’ve found the right spot?

Then comes that second question, “Where do I want to go?” There’s so many places I want to learn more about and experience. I love to travel. I want to see the world, try new things, and immerse myself in a new culture (but I don’t have the money to do that before I graduate). Without those experiences, how do I decide? I don't want to strike out on my own, but like many others, I’m scared.

I’m also torn because I absolutely love where I grew up. People who aren’t from here may not know or think so, but Iowa is beautiful. I am in awe of the rolling hills and the gorgeous green when the grass and crops grow from spring into summer. I could stare forever at the beautiful sunsets that make the crops glow in the fall when it comes time to harvest. Everyone here is incredibly friendly too. Everyone really is, “Iowa nice.” Iowa is familiar. Iowa is home, and I have a hard time picturing myself any place else.

So, what do I do? Do I stay here and find out who I am here with my family and friend connections? Do I become that being, or do I set off to a totally new place and start my life all over again? How could the job I pick shape me into a new and better individual? Will it lead me to become the type person I want to be? I can’t help but wonder what it will be like and how my life will change.

As the summer progresses and we slowly roll into fall, all of these thoughts stir in my head. Eventually, I will have to make my choice about what direction I want my life to take. It will be scary. It will be tough, and my life will truly change. But that’s part of what makes life interesting and worth living. It’s the unknown that helps lead us to greatness for if we knew it all, we wouldn’t have to try as hard. I can’t help to say that a life is not worth living if you don’t give it your all.