A recent college graduate officially one-week from today, I still take omnipotent and unfailing parental advice to heart (despite my recent degree in higher education and the juvenile presumption that 80 years of life-experience and wisdom also comes with that small piece of paper). After all, whoever is acclaimed for the infamous phrase, "Mama knows best," and in my case, I am lucky enough to include my Dad in there too (Hi Dad!) was without a doubt, speaking from experience and knows what he is talking about.
After the initial shock of finishing my last academic paper that I would ever have to write in English, expressing so many ear-to-ear smiles alongside happy tears that my face cannot show any more emotion, and literally popping two huge bottles of champagne at 10 am the day after graduation, I am beginning to realize that these are the first days and the true start of the rest of my life.
Looking back, we often remember our "firsts" and "firsts days" as exciting and monumental moments at any stage in our lives. The many first days of school are considered fresh starts; although I admit that I much preferred the excitement of back to school shopping than the actual first day of school. Most of us will always remember the innocent butterflies of our first kiss or the overwhelming and enthralling emotion experienced... on the honeymoon. That first car, that first house, that first child... all remembered as glamorous moments experienced in the richness of life.
I think the reason as to why we tend to remember only the good times during these certain milestones and important moments is because 9 times out of 10, we had to struggle so much to achieve their priceless outcomes! Yes, that first kiss was great (Thank you Kyle McCullough for that lovely smooch in the seats of the old Norwin Hills Theater during Harry Potter), but it didn't come free next to all of the hormonal threats and influences that accompany puberty and middle school peer pressure. And what about that first car or that first house? It would be nice to harvest $100,000 dollars each season from the money trees growing in the back yard (although my Grandma Namestka does make a lovely money trees for special occasions), life doesn't exactly work like that.
So, what I am trying to say here is that it is very important to keep actively in mind the fact that every difficult moment and transition in life are physically, emotionally, and mentally preparing us for the next great step ahead. In my case (so here is where I get a little bit selfish in my first blogpost and talk about how this little "fun fact" relates to me), knowing that the love of my life, most of my life-long friends, and all the cheese and wine in the world is waiting for me 3773 miles away (and yes I looked it up), this transition and time at home are preparing me for what is ahead.
Thank you Mom and Dad for letting me move back home for awhile after a year "dans le merde" (life in the shit--literally if you would have seen the state of my apartment at school) and tolerating and consoling my "I miss Benoît, my French friends, France, why these flights are too expensive, I need to bake something at 90 degrees Celsius even though you have a roast in the oven" and at times very high strung complaints and rants. YOU ARE THE BEST PARENTS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD AND MY FAVORITE PARENTS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD AND I "MEOW" AND I "WUV" YOU. (For those of you who do not understand the previous sentence, I am sorry! I will tell you when you're older, maybe).
I love you.
Bisous (friendly French closing, meaning "kisses!")
Laura
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