When I was younger there were two things my parents always
talked about. The first was their time in Greek life. The second was studying
abroad. They would always mention the friendships and memories they made, and
ever since I can remember those were items one and two on the first bucket list
I made at the young age of six.
It seems so surreal to think that this time next month I
will be starting the new chapter in my life. I am blessed and extremely lucky
to have brave enough parents to let their baby girl spread her wings and soar
to new places to create memories of her own. As I sit in my room anticipating
the moment I will have to say my last goodbyes, a rush of emotions come over
me. Am I excited? Yes. Am I nervous? Maybe a little. Am I scared? Yes.
I love the saying if your dreams don’t scare you then they
aren’t big enough. Whenever I tell my friends and family that I am scared they
are all a bit surprised. Maddie, the girl who has always danced to the beat of
her own drum; the girl who is chasing her dreams in a big city; the girl who
had a little taste of the corporate world this summer, is scared?
I will admit that I was scared to leave all my family and
friends in Indiana and start a new chapter in Chicago, but before I knew it I
was scared to be coming back home to Indiana and leaving all my friends in
Chicago. Life is funny that way sometimes.
For my 21st birthday my mom got me this beautiful
journal with a golden fleur-de-lis on the front (fitting since that is a
“Kappa” symbol, but it is also fitting because it was made in Florence, Italy).
In the journal she wrote, “Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have
stories to tell, not stuff to show.”
So with that being said, I have started a new bucket list of
places I want to go and things I want to do. I have decided that instead of
just keeping all my journal entries to myself I might share a few with you. I
know what you are all thinking another traveling blog, really? Let me assure
you though I am not doing this for you, I am not doing this to try and become
the next Carrie Bradshaw. I am doing this for me. I am doing this because
writing makes me happy. I am doing this for my happiness and I can only hope
that I may inspire you all to travel, to do something new, and to do something
that scares you everyday.
