Going Back, Moving Foward

While on one of my many long drives, I was listening to the radio and just thinking (it’s nice to have time to let your mind wander, if you don’t do this often, I would definitely recommend it!). The song “I Go Back” by Kenny Chesney came on and I was instantly transported into a new line of thought. Has that ever happened to you? One minute, you are thinking of what you are going to do for the day and then you are triggered into something completely different by something like a song or a smell? This happens to me a lot, and it is rather fun to just let it happen.

This song came out my senior year of high school (don’t judge) and I remember driving to school listening to it almost every day. The one memory it really sparked was the day I realized that I was going to go to a university in a different state and was leaving all of what I knew behind. I was moving to Texas from Georgia (it doesn’t seem like much different, but I assure you it was!). I remember saying to my sister and friends that I wish I could stop time for that one summer between high school and college. I wanted to harness that feeling of accomplishment of completing school and that anticipation and excitement for moving on to the next step in life. 

During this time, I had several acute moments of intense sadness. My time growing up in Georgia was great (not perfect, but great) and I was very sad to leave it all behind. Those lifelong connections that fade, the town changing without you, and most importantly, having to adjust internally to what was about to happen next.

My transition to college was not the easiest. I felt very alone without my family and friends and everything and everyone seemed different than what I was used to. I started doing different things and basically developed a new identity from who everyone knew me as in my hometown. Over time, I adjusted and my time in undergrad in Texas was also just as happy as my school years in Georgia. 

The point I want to make is this: relish those times where you are happy, but do not be afraid to make the changes necessary for the next steps in life. That change always leads to something valuable. This can be applied at any age, and especially to those about to enter the workforce. Take that internship in a different state or country! Do something you aren’t sure of, you will definitely learn from it. The other point I want to make is more personal: let yourself be nostalgic from time to time. It actually gives you some insight into what makes you tick, which is a great thing to know! GO BACK on occasion, but THINK FORWARD!