oh, the places you’ll go

This past Sunday at 2 p.m. the 2012 OSU Winter Commencement officially started and one of my best friends received her diploma, shook President Gee’s hand and joined me as a proud buckeye alumni.

OSU grads

So weird.

I watched my friends and former classmates graduate and couldn’t help but think of my graduation last spring. While the overall message remained the same, President Gee tried extremely hard to make this speech different than previous graduations. But the core message remained the same – Ohio State gave us the fuel and acted as a launching pad for our future, and now it’s time to fly.

Cheesy cheesy cheesy.

But true. It’s been about eight months since I graduated college, and it was nice to go back and REALLY listen to graduation. I’ll be the first to admit, last June I was waving to my family, smiling for pictures, finding friends in the sea of black gowns, chatting about senior bar craw and figuring out plans for the evening …. I wasn’t exactly paying FULL attention to the speakers (and it was about 90 degrees in the Horseshoe and I was dying for a Diet Coke and a hot-dog). So listening to the message again was beneficial.

Hearing President Gee tell the new graduates that life doesn’t end after college but simply begins a new chapter of life is refreshing, and what I needed to hear. Honestly, I think these next four years are going to be the scariest/best/most developing years of my life. It still feels weird to get out of bed and head downtown to work and not across the Oval to class. It feels weird to have the world at my feet. It feels weird to know that the choices I make during this year could impact the rest of my life.

Moving from cheesy cheesy cheesy to dramatic dramatic dramatic. Wonderful.

But it’s true – how I continue to expand my network and strengthen my skills now do nothing but lay down the path for my future. It’s just slightly scary to have some cool internship and Disney experience, my degree, my big bright personality and passion with me and face the world.

As a college-grad living in today’s world it seems like we have a ton of un-spoken rules to follow. Know social media, mind your manners, make a difference in today’s world, support the right causes and make sure you can handle your iPhone, emails, twitter and Facebook presence all at once (I’m still rocking the dumb phone so one thing I don’t have to worry about – and yes mom, I am the only person without an iPhone.)

So now what? What is the next step in this wonderful path I call my life?

I found a company that I believe in and am ready to mold myself into a professional – and make sure I remember my values and what is important to me. One of my new goals is to read a professional book every month (sort of like a self-help book — stay tuned for my review of my March read during my next blog post!), and the one I am currently reading really focuses on writing down goals. See your goals, strive for your goals, reach your goals…not a bad concept.

Now is the time to really think about my goals…both short and long-term. Thanks for reading!

College grad lives at home

I celebrated my 22nd birthday on July 27 – a day full of friends, family and tons of love.

Tons.of.love.

Especially coming from my parents. The immense amount love they have shown me since I unpacked my boxes from Ohio State is almost too much to share. Almost.

The night before my birthday I planned to meet some of my friends at a local bar for drinks and appetizers. With everyone moving across the country for jobs, grad school and family, it had been a couple of weeks since the “big” group had been able to meet and catch-up. After I had finished getting ready I went to say goodbye to my parents.

(Be prepared to experience the love here…)

MOM:  “You off to meet the girls?”

ME: “Yup! See you guys tomorrow.”

MOM: “Jess, wait a minute. If you need a ride home or anything give me a call, ok? Seriously, anything you just call me.”

ME: “Thanks mom, but no need to worry about anything like that. Love you, see you tomorrow.”

MOM: “Ok, but really, just call me. Oh hey…who all is going? Are you only going to The Back Porch? When will you be home? Did you get enough dinner? And really Jess, you’re wearing that?”

So.much.love.

It’s hard to complain about my mom and dad caring about me and wanting to make sure I am safe – but it is so difficult to come home and live with my parents after living with roommates at Ohio State.

It’s sort of the same “love” I feel when I head out for the evening. When I tell my dad I am heading to meet Bridget after work and then we are going to hang out for a bit, but I don’t know where…I truly am not being a brat. I don’t know where we’re going. There is no secret, there is no hidden agenda, there is no desire to hide the truth.

I really don’t know where we are going.

Call it stupid or call it crazy, sometimes my friends and I make no plans besides to hang out. Isn’t that what my last summer as a “kid” is for? I graduated college and am preparing to head to Disney — so I want to see my friends, family and relax before moving down. So when my friends says let’s grab dinner it is implied we will decide on a restaurant when we meet. After my insane list-making, studying and planning in Columbus I feel so free making smaller list for the summer…no need to decide where to eat right away. Go with the flow. But my “free and flowing” summer lifestyle causes me to have no answers for my dad when he asks about my plans. And somehow fights erupt from me really not knowing.

See? The love is almost never-ending.

Living with your parents is HARD. Especially when you move all of your stuff from your own room in Columbus back to your parents’ house and try to juggle unpacking OSU things and packing for Disney.What makes the situation harder is my new-found title as an “college-graduate adult”. I feel that my parents and I are continuing to try to find a working relationship that allows me to live my life as a young adult, but continue to follow and respect their rules.

But, it’s a work in progress.

Grad comes home

Because my arrival date for WDW College Program isn’t till the middle of August I moved back home … and in with my parents. Truthfully, I don’t know how excited I am about my new living situation.

Don’t get me wrong, I have incredible parents. They are very loving and supportive – but they are my parents. I moved into their house, under their roof and with their rules. And we are having a hard time figuring out our new relationship with me back in the house. To them, it is like “high-school” Jessi is moving back home – not the 21-year-old college grad.

Within seven hours of being home my dad already said (lovingly about 50 times) that I have too many clothes, purses, jewelry and “junk”.

Thanks dad.

No many how many times you say it, my clothing and accessories are not going away.

My mom wants to know my summer work schedule and what my plans are for this weekend. I can’t seem to explain to her that I am seeing some old high school friends this weekend, but we don’t have concrete plans. I cannot give her specific times or locations.

O.m.g.

It is so hard to switch gears from living on my own without any rules to moving back into my parents’ home. This means respecting curfews, other sleeping schedules and trying to mesh back in my family’s everyday life.

I only need to survive living at home for about 60 days then I move down to the wonderful world of Disney! I can’t wait for our family vacation and to see my parents and sister before I leave for Florida, but why do I have this apprehension?

Stay tuned for posts from a college grad living at home.

J

Tassel on the right side

“As I reflect on the ceremony, I am struck by the collective power of this group. Though I admit my bias, our students are,
in short, extraordinary. Each student’s story may differ, but all share one theme—a strong desire to do good in the world.” – President Gee reflecting on The Ohio State Class of 2011 and all Ohio State students.

I am officially a college graduate! I finished all my classes, made my parents proud with my grades, crawled with my friends, received my diploma and moved my tassel to the right.

TA-DA! Everything I have worked for these past four years is finished… I graduated!

Wait, so now it’s time for the real world?

I feel that I have all this knowledge and drive, but no map. I want to take everything I have learned from this incredible university and share it with the world.

But now I am packing up my apartment, writing thank you notes, preparing for a short summer job and then off to Disney!

Disney is the chance for me to take hold of my dreams and really reach for the stars. I am prepared to work hard, learn the brand and network as much a possible.

So here I am world – no map, just my ambition.

Besides, worst comes to worst I have my other OSU alum and those who love me around in case I need directions.