Return with Elixir

I've completed this Hero's Journey with so much knowledge about myself.  I've learned a lot about the things I need to do when faced with these types of situations, like be humble and patient. I've learned that it's okay to be disappointed when things don't work out the way you've planned them. However, I've also learned that it's not okay to take that disappointment out on others.

 I've realized that my dreams are still going to come true, whether I attend the school of my dreams or not. I want to be a journalist, and I can do that no matter where I go. My career dream still has the potential to come true, and so does my life dream. No matter where I go, I want to be a leader. I want to change the lives of others for the better, so in turn they will want to do the same for someone else. That dream can come true whether I'm in Brunswick County, or Buies Creek, or even Wilmington, North Carolina. I want to inspire those around me. 

I'd just like to tell everyone that it's so important to have a dream - have millions of them. No dream is too big. Always remember, though, some dreams don't come true. That doesn't mean you're a failure. That doesn't mean you won't achieve your other dreams. It just means that there is something better out there waiting for you than you dreamed for yourself. Don't be bitter over life's disappointments. We all have to face the fact that life isn't fair. It isn't fair to anyone, so don't think it's just you. It isn't. Be inspired by the beauty you see in the world. Chase after your dreams, and if some of them don't come true, at least you can say you tried. Don't ever stop believing in yourself and your potential. You can do and be anything; you just have to let yourself go where life leads you. 

I'm ready to embark on my new journey at UNCW. I am confident that I will find myself there, and it will be more than I could have ever imagined for myself. That's what life is all about, right? Finding yourself and becoming your own person. After all, life is about the journey, not the destination.

Crossing the First Threshold

After fretting (to death) about my college decision internally for a few weeks, I finally decided to sit down and talk to my parents about money. I had this grand speech planned out, and I just knew I was going to walk away becoming a camel in the fall. 

Well, needless to say, that all crashed and burned. 

As soon as I started to talk about money and loans, my parents simply stated that they couldn't sign a loan for me because they didn't sign them for my sisters. It really was as simple as that. Loans were the only way I was ever going to be able to afford Campbell, so when they told me that I knew the decision was made...

In August of 2013, I would become a UNCW Seahawk. 

I sent in my enrollment deposit the next day, and slowly tried to let go of one of my dreams.

Hello Wilmington, NC

Goodbye, Buies Creek.

Meeting with the Mentor

I spent many grueling hours trying to figure out everything with Campbell. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it because I didn't think they would understand. One day, I was noticeably stressed out. My journalism teacher, Mrs. McKinley, has always been the first person to recognize if I'm not my usual happy-go-lucky self. This particular day, she seemed even more concerned than usual. We sat down and talked, and boy did that talk do some good!

I explained everything that was going on to Mrs. McKinley. I told her about the money situation with Campbell and how I had the opportunity to attend UNCW. Mrs. McKinley attended UNCW herself, so of course she had a lot of really wonderful things to say about it. I tried to explain how I felt in the best way possible. Mrs. McKinley was my teacher for three years, so she knew all about my dream of attending Campbell. I knew that she understood exactly where I was coming from. Little did I know that she had a similar story of her own to tell.

Mrs. McKinley explained to me that when she reached her senior year of high school, the only school she had ever dreamed about going to was UNC-Chapel Hill. She had been accepted, which is a huge feat for most people. She had her heart set on going there, but then she began thinking about the campus and how big it was. She explained to me that she wasn't much of a city girl, and she didn't know how well she would fit in at Chapel Hill. She luckily, like me, had applied to other schools, UNCW being one of them. When it came down to making her decision, she chose UNCW because she knew in the long run it would make her happy. All of that turned out to be true because UNCW is where she met her husband, and now they have a beautiful little girl. That would have never happened if she had chosen to become a Tar Heel. 

The point I know she was trying to get across to me was that it's okay if my dreams don't work out. It's okay to be disappointed about it. But the important thing to remember is that most of the time there is something better waiting out there for everyone, even if we aren't able to see it yet. The talk I had with her really motivated and encouraged me. I felt so much better knowing that someone completely understood where I was coming from.

Ultimately, I knew the decision was still up to me, and it was my time to decide.