Brace Yourself, It's A Wild Ride!

Today while on the stair master at the gym with a friend that I met as a college freshman we watched some new college freshman walk around on their tour. She quickly turned to me and said, "if only they new! They are probably looking around like, gym? who needs a gym! Baby, just wait, the hips and tummy are coming! I PROMISE!" This got me to thinking, not only about the extra pounds that I carry with me these days but about just how much my life has changed since the days of touring colleges. As we talked for a few minutes on this topic we decided it is safe to say that at that point in our lives we should have gone ahead and broken up with our boyfriends (nothing against them, but let's get real, high school sweethearts are few and far between...fairy tales are for Disney and princess books), we should have prepared ourselves to lose most of our "best" friends but to gain ones that would be lifelong friends, and to change our major a gazillion times! I did all of the above as had she, but both in our own timing and maybe not always in the most eloquent manner. My major has changed so many times that I don't even know if I can remember what all of them were, but I made it right back where I started...nursing! The truth is people change, things change, and life just changes. There is nothing wrong with it and it can be for the better! No matter where it takes you the most important part is to not lose touch of yourself and to always LIVE IT UP! If I had a few certain pieces of advice I could give college freshman it would be...
1. Don't get a dog...yes, mine is my BEST friend, but a handful.
2. Don't go seeking a boyfriend...I love mine more than words can express, but this is your time and they are an even bigger handful.
3. Remember where you came from...many of us want to think we have dreams bigger than our hometown but you might just come to find that place isn't so bad after all...stay grounded, it is ok to have roots and wings :)
4. Don't be in  a hurry to chose your major, you will figure it out and if you don't go out for a drink and don't think about it so much, there is really no need to be in a hurry in this wonderful (sarcasm) economy
5. Hold on tight, it's a WILD ride!

What advice would you give? Has your experience been similar or are you the same on day 800 as day 1?

Jamie Lee