Wow. What happened? I'm leaving Luther tomorrow. I think I'm experiencing shock. I can't believe my first year of college is literally over. Minus the two finals I have yet to take, this year is gone. There are so many things running through my mind, and yet I don't know what to write. I could tell you about all the firsts and lasts my friends and I experienced this weekend, but that seems trivial in comparison to the looming departures I'm being faced with. I could tell you about how much I've changed this first year, but that seems silly. I don't know, maybe I'll do some random train-of-thoughts in order to give you a taste of everything.
This past weekend has been one of my favorites! It started out with Reading Day on Friday, in which the whole campus is basically shut down so that no student has an excuse not to be studying. So after being good students all day long and cramming information into our brains, four friends and I decided to go to Rochester for some well-deserved Buffalo Wild Wings and Starbucks. As we were coming home, we wondered why we had never done that before. It was so much fun! So college tip #1: take a mini road trip with your friends for some good food one random weekend. It doesn't matter if it's to LaCrosse or Rochester or just to Cresco (it's a small town about 20 miles away) just get in the car and go eat! Saturday was my roommate's birthday, so a bunch of us went out to Rubiayt and had dinner. It was so much fun! Most of us had never been there before, so it was a new experience, and the food was delicious! College tip #2: don't neglect the downtown! There are a ton of cute shops and places to eat and things to look at. Go into any store, and I guarantee you will end up having a great conversation with someone there, simply because there is no sense of time in a small town, and everyone is so darn friendly! Then to finish up the weekend, eight of us walked down to the canoe/tube landing and went canoeing all afternoon! It was so peaceful, just paddling down the river, looking at the trees and bluffs and listening to the birds. Then we went and laid out on the library lawn while studying, so we were not only outside in the glorious sunshine, but we were also getting work done. Talk about the perfect multitask :-) College tip #3: get out and have fun! Yeah, it was the weekend of finals and we could have been studying all day, but studying isn't what makes memories. You need to take a break, get outside and enjoy life! I know you're at college to get an education, but there is absolutely no reason you can't also have an unforgettable time with your friends while you're at it!
I was thinking the other day about how much I've grown since I left home last August. I'm not so sure that my outward appearance has changed as much as my mind and who I am, although I do think I look more sophisticated :-) But really, college expands your horizons like you wouldn't believe! I've gone from reading fun romance novels to reading C.S. Lewis and Jane Austen for fun! While watching chick flicks and comedies are a good time, I've also grown to like documentaries and films that make you think about bigger questions than any comedy can offer. I started school as a Biology major Spanish minor, and now am an English/Africana Studies major with a History minor. Who would have thought that Allison Croat, the girl who hated grammar and history in middle school would want to learn more about them in college? I certainly didn't think I would! I've learned to like to eat different types of food, and yes, I even drink coffee now! What?!?! I know, crazy. But it's just what happens when you decide to expand your horizons and try new things. College tip #4: don't be afraid to let go of who you were in high school. College is a time for you to grow and to change and to create the person you want to become. You don't have to be fake anymore; if you don't want to do something, you don't have to do it! Or if you really want to be someone else, there is no one telling you you can't do it because that's not the role you fit into. You get to be the best person: YOU! And while that is an extremely scary thought the first few months of school, you gradually become more comfortable with it, and by the time you get to where I am right now, you are finally fitting into the skin that was meant for you. And once you get there, your life seems to open up before you.
In closing, I want to thank all of you for sticking with me this year, through the random posts, the rantings and the bliss I've gone through these past nine months. Whether you are a senior in high school, already in college, or long done with your 'typical education' I want to wish you all the best. Take whatever opportunities life gives you and run with them. After all, we only get to live once, so you better do it right the first time, and there's no better time to start living than right now. As for me, I'm
Always
Allison
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