This Semester I Learned...

This semester I learned that sea otters hold hands when they sleep so that one doesn't float away...or at least so that one doesn't float away without the other. I learned that whales have a culture and that seawater, sand and sunshine have a way of washing away the sadness, if only for a day.

This semester I learned to appreciate the built environment and to see spaces as more than just capsules that separate the inside from the outside. They are places to dance in, to learn in and to live in.

This semester I learned that it is really easy to be cavalier about scheduling 8:30AM classes when it is warm and the sun rises before you need to be out of bed. And it is much less so when you need to trudge across campus in the snow when it is dark out and you would much rather be in bed.

This semester I learned that zig zags on paper can have exponentially more meaning than you would initially expect. And I learned that while they can't solve everything, Persistence and Patience can at least get you started on the path to success.

This semester I learned that it's okay to not always gun for the top in everything and that it actually is possible to be pushing yourself too hard. I learned that cutting yourself some slack can help you fall back in love with what you're doing and help you remember why you wanted to do it in the first place.

This semester I learned that it is good to leave the bubble sometimes because it will always be there when you return. The experiences outside the bubble, however, don't last forever and there are moments that demand to be seized sometimes. This semester I re-learned that contrary to popular belief, the occasional bout of fun will not in fact kill you. My head is still spinning from it too.

This semester I learned that loss comes at unexpected times. And that no matter how much you know it's coming, you can never really prepare yourself. This semester I learned that there's no way to know how to deal with it until it's here and staring you in the face and impossible to ignore anymore.  This semester I learned that sometimes all you can do is just carry on.

This semester I learned that things get better the same way that they get bad-so slowly you don't even realize it's happening until you turn around and look back.

This semester I learned that it's okay to not be okay and that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign that you are not a robot. It just means that you are human being with feelings and emotions and needs. And that is more than okay.

This semester I learned the value of reaching out to other people. Of teamwork in-class and just friendship outside of class. I re-learned that it is a choice to be around people the same way it is a choice to isolate yourself and that the key is in finding the right balance of the two.

This semester I learned that not every friendship is meant to last forever. And that the moment that it stops being a mutual thing is the moment you should be a little bit on your guard. This semester I learned that, as painful as it is, sometimes it's better just to let it go because trying to hold on too tight will ruin everything anyways. This semester I learned that no amount of sentimental attachment should be an excuse for not being a good friend. Your friends are the people you choose to have in your life so choose wisely.

This semester I learned that the people around you will try to bait you all the time. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. You don't know their situation and more importantly, you don't need to rise to the occasion even if you do. It will just end with frustration all around and that distracts from getting the real work done.

This semester I learned that there is a distinct difference between setting standards for yourself and holding yourself back with arbitrary rules. This semester I learned that trying to hold yourself to the way you think you should act or the way that things ought to be often just does more harm than it does good.

This semester I learned that there are times that you just need to forgive yourself, it will be okay. Because life will go on.