It's not "Good Bye," it's "See You Later"

A year ago today, I woke up and remembered I had just graduated from college the day before. Yesterday made one year since I graduated from Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. Not a day goes by that I don't remember my time at RWU, the good and the bad. I met some of my best friends at RWU and I miss them every single day. Being on your own is hard enough without struggling to maintain long distance relationships with your family and friends. Although it is not nearly the same as being together in person, programs like Skype™ and modern day technology such as cell phones, text message, video calls via cool smart phones make staying in touch that much easier and fun.

By the way, congratulations to the Class of 2011! For those of you who graduated/are graduating from high school, I have no advice for you. If you're going to college, congrats! If not, I hope you've got a job and/or some source of legitimate and legal income because the real world is not suited for the poor or the lazy. For those of you who graduated/are graduating from college, how are you feeling? I bet, right now, it's still so surreal. If it hasn't semi-hit you already, it will very soon. Personally, it didn't truly hit me until my younger friends were going back to school the following August. However, the grieving process is different for everyone.

There are a lot of graduates who panicked about five months ago as their second and last semester began because they had no solid plan for post-graduation. There are also a lot of graduates who had a plan for post-graduation but spent their last few weeks of school stressing about preparing for those plans. I fit in the latter category during my senior year. I had secured a job here in Virginia but then had the stressful business of apartment hunting and then moving eight to ten hours down the eastern seaboard. I moved just four days after graduation with little time to savior with my family and friends back at home. Overall, it was stressful and everything happened so fast but I don't regret it one bit.

For those of you still living in denial about the huge milestone you just made in your life, here are some tips for coping with the trauma.

1. Acceptance
• The first step to solving your problem is admitting you have one. In this case, the first step in coping with post-graduation trauma is staring it right in the eye and telling it who's boss. After all, sure you miss college, but this is what you've worked so hard for. You knew it would end eventually.
2. Keep yourself busy
• The summer time is a perfect distraction from the constant reminder of graduation. Spend it working/making money and relaxing on the beach or by the pool. Hang out with your friends from home and your friends from college that live close by. Having a job will certainly make you realize that you don't miss papers and pulling all-nighters.
3. Stay connected
• No matter where your paths may take you, you'll always be able to remain in contact with your friends. Being away from my best friends makes me appreciate them much more, which makes Skype™ dates and phone dates so much more fun. Utilize your love for social media, text messaging, and the World Wide Web to maintain your long distance relationships.

Again, being with your friends virtually is nothing compared to being with them physically but if they're your true friends, they'll never be too far away. You'll never lose contact with the ones that truly matter. It's like they say, "don't worry about the people from your past; there's a reason they didn't make it to your future."

Peace, love, and everything happens for a reason so embrace it.

Sincerely,

J.A.B.