According to my Facebook friends who also attended Bethel College, I graduated ten years ago this weekend. It seems impossible to be ten years removed from college life and my dreams from that period of time. My life looks nothing like I thought it would at this point. And that's okay!!
When I left Bethel College, I thought...
I would move to Chicago and teach at an inner city high school--and maybe even start a community center. Instead I taught middle school reading in Mishawaka, English as a foreign language in Haiti, and now high school English in Goshen. Even though the location hasn't been what I thought it would be, my desire to work with students who come from low income backgrounds has been realized. And my dreams of starting a community center are still alive and well--I just picture myself running community programs in Haiti instead of the inner city.
I would be married by age 25 or 26, with multiple kids by age 30. In reality I didn't get married until a week before my 30th birthday. But, I'm not complaining. I love my husband, and I'm really, really thankful I trusted God and waited for Arold.
I would maintain my close relationships with my college friends. I was determined that I was not going to be one of those people who left college and promptly forgot about my BFFs. The truth is I was unprepared for how much work friendships take when you don't live in the same building. There are a small handful of friends from college that I regularly talk to, but I do wish I had done a better job of keeping up with my roommate and suite-mates from sophomore year.
Rest assured, some things haven't changed.
- Most days you still can't see the surface of my desk or dining room table.
- The alarm goes off multiple times before I roll out of bed in the morning.
- I would much rather stay up late with my girlfriends talking than do school work.
- Discussing grammar is still fascinating. (Seriously.)
