#goodoldtimes

1978

In his famous collection of thoughts, Milan Kundera (who also happens to be one of my favorite authors) wrote: 

“We go through the present blindfolded... Only later, when the blindfold is removed and we examine the past, do we realise what we've been through and understand what it means.”

When I think of my first year at Smith, it really does feel like I was walking around with a blindfold on 24/7. Most of the time, I had no idea what I was doing and I was just lucky when things turned out right. I think that’s why one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned this year is the importance of flexibility. 

I’ve never been a flexible person, I tend to over plan, overthink and then get really upset when things don’t go EXACTLY as planned. That’s why Smith  was constantly testing the bounds of my patience and flexibility. I have a PSA in case you’re like me; most college students aren’t the biggest planners so, you’re going to have to learn to be flexible. At the start of the year this was so, so SO hard for me. I felt like I NEEDED to know where I was going to be and when, at all times. It was not only stressful for me but also for everyone else around me.  

After a couple of weeks at Smith I realized that being that hellbent on having a plan wasn’t gonna fly with my fellow Smithies so, I had to take a deep breath and relaaaaaax. Not only did I start to learn how to be more flexible, but also how great being flexible and spontaneous can be! Some of my best memories from my first year at Smith are from events that weren’t planned. There’s a beauty in spending time with people because you want to and not because you said you would. Slowly but surely, I started asking “can I come?” or when asked to do things I would say “Sure!” My favorite spontaneous memory is from a late night Target run with my fellow Ducks during probably the most stressful week of my life. We laughed until we cried and we got some great things at Target too. 

The one and only picture taken from that fateful Target run! 

Granted, it wasn’t always easy. Sometimes saying yes to things I wasn’t sure about put me in situations that I’d rather have avoided... Nonetheless, whatever happened, I had a new experience to talk about. So, next time you have a fun last minute plan - give me a call!