Twenty Years Later...

Twenty years ago this week, I started college.

I thought of that because it's move-in day and 381 or so Freshman have packed up their bags and loaded their cars, driven miles away from home, and started a new chapter in their life.

I don't know if graduating high school or starting college is a bigger achievement or milestone. They both go hand-in-hand, of course. But I remember how much more I anticipated the later, because I truly thought it was a beginning I craved. No more lonely nights, no more shadows of past classmates or friends, no more regrets. College would make me different, maybe even more "normal."

Freshman year was tough, and in retrospect, I had too high of hopes. I immediately fell into old traps, because at heart I'm a "good girl." I was a little scared of partying and drinking, and I didn't know how to behave around guys. And the friends I made I was a little apprehensive about...I mean, I was so unsure I wasn't going to meet the "right crowd." I guess I knew in the pit of my stomach that I really hadn't...it all fell apart half-way through the year. And it really wasn't until a year later that I met my friends for life.

I think if I had advice for a college Freshman this week, it would be to listen to your gut, don't do anything that makes you feel raw in the stomach, but it's OK to go outside of your comfort zone. Sign up for a new club, take a class that really inspires you, say hello to someone who just may have been more "popular" than you were in high school, and it's OK to be a little lost. Those feelings won't last.

And most importantly, know that this isn't the last "first" you'll have. Whether it's your first post-college job, or grad school, or moving in with friends or a boy, or starting a second or third new job, there will be many other beginnings. So if this one isn't perfect, know that such a thing doesn't exist.

And have fun. Always have fun.