Dec. 8, 2015

Wow. Graduation. I’m still figuring out how to say the word without thinking about my impending doom after the actual graduating thing happens.

Dude, the real world? I eat ice cream as a main meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner on a regular basis and prefer to walk around in onesies all day, every day. I know what you’re thinking: only great things could come from a person living such a prestigious lifestyle. Well, we are about to find out how it goes, folks.

How bad could it be? (she says as visions of tsunamis, meteors, burning villages and locust plagues run through her head.)

Nah, in all honesty, I’m not too worried.

Our lives are set up to know the next step. We go to elementary school, middle school, high school, college is the next expected step and then bam! We are supposed to have a career planned.

There’s the infamous question, “So, what are you doing after graduation?” And then the look of disgust offered in return to “I’m gonna wing it!” Yes. There may be an edge of irresponsibility to that statement, but I think there is also a beauty in letting myself not worry about what’s next for once.

The great thing about adulthood is no one does it perfectly. Just like “growing up” and finding out who you are, there are no guidelines for how to go about “adulting.”

I have learned immeasurably valuable lessons throughout my three and half years in college thanks to the people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had.

I have to thank the fam-bam for keeping me grounded and offering me support through this journey.

While here, I have met some of the greatest people I have ever known and am proud to call them my friends; y’all know who you are. (A-team, if you’re reading this, if it’s worth it – work it – put your thing down flip it and reverse it).

It would be a shame for me to not mention the people who made a brief cameo in my life. While they may no longer be present in the world of Abrielle, the time I spent with them influences the way I conduct different aspects of my life.

I have great people by my side and a growing bank of intellectual and emotional knowledge. So bring on the adulthood, and bring on new experiences.