My life is a beautiful adventure that God intended for me to live out to the fullest, remembering that every day is a gift and should not be taken for granted.

This week I’ve been struggling with what to write about. Although my life is insanely busy and I seem to never find time just dwell in those innermost thoughts that seem to constantly plague my mind, there really isn’t anything super exciting in my life except well life. So this week instead of telling you about some extravagant adventure I happily checked off of my bucket list, but rather I’m going to tell you a goal that I’ve had for this year that may not be as exciting.

Over the past six months, I have put my nose to the grindstone and have tirelessly edited thousands of words penned for the single intent of either dictating where my future is going to take place or how I am going to monetarily handle the next step in my life. Every high school senior knows what I’m talking about. Those scholarship and college applications that seem to be endless, and just when you think you are done your parents throw another one at you and you’re right back at it again. Honestly, I think I’ve spent more energy trying to think of what to say in one of those too generic, same-as-the-last-one essays than I have in the swimming pool (which is saying a lot). It is without question one of the most taxing tasks I have ever had to complete. I don’t know if it’s all the words or the knee-shaking idea of getting into that college or receiving that scholarship, but every time I begin a new application I get that feeling in my stomach. The feeling that either something absolutely amazing or dreadfully awful is about to happen.

Yet, there comes a moment when all that hard work, all of those sleepless nights, tear strewn phone calls to your mom or best friend and aching fingers and eyes from typing and looking at the computer screen pay off. Unlike most of my friends though, that moment didn’t seem to come quick enough for me. By the time I received my first acceptance letter, I had friends who had already committed to college. And that did not help me (with my seven college dilemma) not freak out about what next year is going to look like and how I can possibly make that decision by the end of the school year. Still that decision is not made, and even though it’s February and I have no idea where I’m going next year or how I am going to make it happen, it is refreshing to know that so far I’ve been accepted into every school I’ve applied to (knock on wood). I know that it may not sound like much, but for a girl like me, who has dedicated so much effort and time into maintaining my grades and attempting to achieve perfection all throughout high school, I finally see that determination and perseverance pay off.

There is no such thing as what some people call “a walk in the park” Even with my college acceptances highlighting my achievement, there have been many disappointments when it comes to other aspects of the prospective college education next year. After dedicating weeks of my fall to filling out scholarship applications I have yet to receive a positive response to any of my applications. With each rejection I become increasingly more aware of what it means to pay for college, but I am not losing hope. Actually on the contrary it forces me to take the applications and search for applications a priority.

I’m so excited to see how it will all line up in terms of what is going to happen next year, but right now I am content with maybe not knowing how everything is going to shake out, but just being here and learning to take both the successes and the rejections with a smile. And smile is what I’m going to do.