Millennial Generation: YAY GRADUATION!.... wait.... what?

Yes indeed, it has been exactly a week and a day since I have graduated from High School here in Thailand. To be perfectly honest with myself and any lone readers, my first week out plain and simply sucked. I said farewell to my two very best friends a week ago and all my other friends went on a Senior Trip to the beach here in Thailand. I did not attend because once again- to be blatantly honest, the fun consisted of alcoholic beverages and other things that are not quite my style. However this entire week I sat wishing for some sort of distraction or even just something to do. I watched more TV than should be humanly allowed, slept a heck-ton, and ate a bunch just cause I was bored.... The boredom food thing will be talked about in another post but anywho- onward to my thoughts on leaving the proverbial "nest".

I think I'm 99% ready to be living independently, but this week showed me that I'm not entirely 100% ready to leave Thailand. I'm a pretty good cook. I know how to clean. I'm perfectly aware of labels on clothing and how to do laundry (will I follow them.... hmm probably not so much!). Drawback include that I will sorely miss the ISB campus. The feeling of community and friendliness amongst both teachers and students, not to mention the insane list of activities that were offered here. But the hardest truth is I really and truly loved my friends here in Bangkok. Just thinking about the probability of never seeing any of them again makes me cringe. I've been so emotional thinking about it.

But hey, life goes on!! So my coping method this week was to storm the BYU website and find out about activities, gyms, classes, restaurants and all other things that it has to offer. The other thing I've been doing is tons of research on health foods and whatnot- but that's in the later post with the boredom food thing as mentioned before. Focusing on future BYU life has been a tremendous help this week. I've made lists of things to buy pre-college, things to do once I get there, and have been looking at meals I can make and places to buy food etc. For any seniors going through post High-school blues, I recommend the same thing. Maybe you don't have to go so OCD on the lists but just looking at prospective fun helps. So with that, I leave you with the three things I've learned this week.

1. Leaving friends (especially when there is a really big chance you'll never see them again) is just plain painful. Cry some, if you want... I certainly did. Allow yourself to be sad for a few days (or a week).

2. TV and taking naps doesn't really make the problems go away. If anything you just end up feeling like a fat-lard.... I do admit that the cheesy Bachelorette show on ABC assists with a good laugh though.

3. At the end of the day (or week) you just have to get over it! It's odd how even when I'm sad or feeling like so many good things are coming to an end, I know that I should allow myself to be unhappy. I forced myself out of the lame 'meh' feelings through the BYU stuff I did online.

Graduation can be invigorating, or painful, depending on the experience. Either way, though, college is just around the corner!! :D