Nostalgia wastes no time. I am only a few days away from graduating and am already flooded with contentment as I reflect on my four years at FSU. Four years ago, I prepared to attend my first semester of college during Summer C, with no hesitation that I was about to experience the best years of my life. I was ready to start fresh and completely reinvent myself. Now, four years later, I can confidently say that FSU not only gave me four of the best years, but more importantly, taught me to appreciate the journey that led up to graduation, and the journey that continues after graduation.

The memories of late nights in the study rooms, forcing my eyes open with coffee and Youtube’s finest lofi hip-hop radio on full blast, are the memories I’ve grown most fond of. At the time, I was probably cursing myself for procrastinating, but it was through those lingering nights that I became resilient to the pressure of deadlines and real life. Not to mention the late nights out, the nights I had way too much fun and woke up late for class with a hangover. On those days, I remember taking hurried strides through campus with my eyes glued to the time.

On other days, I’d walk through campus quite leisurely and bask in sunlight that shone through the oak trees. I’d walk through Landis Green and pause my music in order to do a quick dance with the Hare Krishna club as they played their instruments. I’d smize at the sonder of students and activists because the productivity, creativity and debility that surrounded me served as a reminder that I was not alone in my endeavors.

The contradiction of the hurry and the harmony serves to illustrate the importance of balance. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned as a Seminole is that life, both in and out of college, will never be picture-perfect and it will never be easy. However, the simplicity of gratitude is always on my side. The lessons I’ve learned as a student just so happen to be beautifully illustrated in one of my favorite books, The Alchemist. Coelho writes, “The secret of happiness is to see all of the marvels of the world, and never forget the drops of oil in the spoon.”

The drops of oil Coelho speaks of represent my desire for success. They represent my future and the work I’ve completed up until this point. My spoon reflects the oils that build up in my palms as I write my final essays and also, the incandescent passion I’ve acquired for writing. However, now I know that there is no future without the present moment, therefore, I relish in these final feelings of stress before I graduate.

Amidst a pandemonium of final events, I reflect on my time at FSU and am eternally grateful for the opportunities and experiences I’ve gained. Most notably, I think of my involvement with the FSView & Florida Flambeau. A junior at the time, I felt stuck between my two majors and the infinite career paths I could choose to pursue. At a crossroads, I joined the FSView to explore my interest in being a writer. It took me about a week or so to realize that being a part of this team, whose sole interest is to share the facts and perspectives of the student body, was a distinguishable choice that further propelled me into my passion.

After working for a year on the News Staff, I was promoted to Deputy Views Editor. I felt myself building a foundation of knowledge and through this position I realized that writing is what I want to do for the rest of my life. With that being said, I am overwhelmingly grateful for four of the best years of my life. But even more so, I am confident that the insight I’ve gained will inspire me to take pleasure in the journey that lies ahead.

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