"Map out your future- but do it in pencil. The road ahead is as long as you make it. Make it worth the trip."
-Bon Jovi
Day One:
This morning I woke up changed: I am now part of the 27% of Americans that have a college degree. It seems as if I was six years old just yesterday thinking that I would never make it this far, but here I am. By going to college I thought I would figure everything out: life, love, joy, happiness. I thought college would organize my life and set me in the right direction. College did so many wonderful things for me; however, here is what I feel like after graduating:
I’ve never been more confused in my life, and I can’t help but laugh. Thoughts about the future continually circulate through my mind, causing me to go crazy. I had a plan when I was 18, and now- I got nothin’. I try my best to avoid answering the question, “Whats next?”
My honest answer: I don’t know.
However, amongst all of this perplexity I find beauty; while I’m lost I have time to find myself. I refuse to be a nameless number in the 27%. Before coming to school I wanted to be an event planner and accountant. Today, I want to be a musician, volunteer, traveler, teacher, leader…. Why be one thing when there are so many more options? I know I’m not the only graduate completely blinded by the “black hole” of a future. I’m not the only one looking for a job while still trying to figure out a career. I’m not the only one searching for answers.
So, this blog is for me and anyone else that is just a little bit lost in life. If I’ve learned one thing, life isn’t a math problem. 2+2 just doesn’t always equal four.
I am Taylor Erin Batch. I’m 21 years old, and I will make a difference in this world. I will not settle for mediocrity. To all the graduates: the world is at our fingertips. Grab hold of it. So what if we write the future in pencil.
xx
