Last September, at the age of 18, I moved half way across the country to start college. I had been to the campus once a year before and experienced a few short conversations with my new roommate. I knew three people in the state and I was terrified.
The summer preceding my giant, life-changing, holy-crap-this-is-huge-what-have-I-done move, I spent a great deal of time worrying about how I could possibly just pick up my life, drop it in a completely foreign place and keep going like it was no big deal. I asked the people around me how they had done it. After several of my friends told me the same thing, I finally understood: no one really knew.
No one had a solid grip on what they were doing, they were just…winging it. They were just figuring their lives out as they went along with the occasional long-term decision when it was required. And if I didn’t want to drive myself crazy with worrying, that was what I was going to have to learn to do too.
Now obviously, this was not the first time I had experienced the idea of “winging it”. I had, like anyone else, winged many a math test (0/10 would not recommend), college interview, and adventure. But this was the first time I realized that people winged such drastic portions of their lives.
To be honest, winging my entire move and subsequent new life felt like a really bad plan. It was also the only plan I had, aside from dropping out of school and becoming a pirate. So, I went with it. And to my infinite surprise, it couldn’t have gone better.
I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, so nothing could actually go wrong. I could just accept things as they came, and see where they led me. I was still nervous, naturally, but I realized that it would get easier.
As the days turned into weeks and I settled into my new home, I began taking opportunities as they came to me. I refused to let myself put on blinders and think of only one goal. Instead, all I required of myself was to finish the semester and have fun. Besides that, I would wing it and see where life took me.
By the end of the semester, I found an amazing friend group, joined organizations that were unique, fun, and new and gained a confidence in myself that I never knew I had. I knew that I was capable of taking new and exciting opportunities without having a solid grasp on what I was doing. And that that was OK. The bottom line is this: although it may seem terrifying to begin something new, whether it be a new job, a new life in a new place or even just a new paper, it will get easier. Just keep pushing forward, taking the opportunities that come to you and figuring it out as you go. It's OK to wing it. You’ll be OK.
