College is like traveling

One of my friends and I, Jessica, were talking about how we both want a break from work, school work, office work, all work! We both love to travel and we were talking about how we want to go on a vacation. I started thinking about it, and I came up with an analogy for college. College is like traveling. By no means is it a vacation, well I guess it could be in a way. I'll start with traveling... to go on a trip, you need to plan where you're going, what you want to do while you're there, where you're going to stay, how you're going to pay for it, and how you are going to get there.

This preliminary work is the same process I needed to go through to get here in college. I had to plan what school I wanted to go to, try to have some idea of what to study (that has changed many times!), how to pay for it (thank goodness for the RA job), and how to transport myself to college, (thanks Mom and Dad for my car!!!).

While traveling, I also get stressed out (I am my father's daughter) because of all of the people, all the paperwork that needs to be done, is my ticket in my purse, lost luggage, and oh, do I have all my kids, family, and/or group? While I don't have kids of my own, I have traveled and flown with children in tow. Once with my sister, dad, niece and nephew. Logan was 4 and Kylie was still a babe. The other time was with Jessica and Robb when their girls were 2 and an infant. Even though none of these kids are my own, I feel like they are, and feel the need to always keep an eye on them. That's also the type of person I am, I always like to keep track of the group i'm with. I have also traveled with a big group, again with Jessica ;). Keeping track of 15 teenagers is almost impossible but can be done! But once I hit my destination, my stress, if not gone, is less. Even if I am still stressed about the people I'm with, at least the initial stress of traveling is gone.

Anyways.... so you have the stress of traveling. This stress can be related to college. Stress is always in my life, whether it's stressing about a test, or how I am going to get everything done in 24 hours, or oh crap, I still need to call my family and let them know I'm alive!! Stress never totally goes away as there is always something to worry about. However, I try to relieve that stress my either workingout (my favorite), journaling, reading a magazine, or praying. This helps me relieve the stress of daily life.

While on a trip, or traveling, I always meet new people, have new adventures and experiences, and see new places. Even if it is somewhere I've been before I am bound to see something new, experience something different or meet a new person during my trip. College is no different! I sometimes think, man Pullman, there's nothing here. But in reality, I just need to go outside, walk around campus, or go hang out with friends, and I will see new places, try new things, have new adventures. All of this will happen without being fully planned out. I have realized that what may seem as a fun night of hanging out wiht an old friend, can turn into a night full of new places, people, and adventures. I will elaborate more about this in my next blog.

So that is my analogy of traveling and college. College is like traveling, I pack to go to school or on vacation, transport myself to the location, stress out while getting there or while there, unpack at school or vacation location, experience new things, meet new people, and then pack back up for home-either at the end of the vacation or end of the school year.