I was recently sitting on my roof watching the sunset (so cliche, right?) and it struck me how soon I’ll be done with college. It’s been a whirlwind four years- full of infinite fantastic things, many challenges, and a whole bunch of personal growth!
Even the fact that I can openly advertise my love of cooking, reading Better Homes and Gardens, and staying in for a relaxed Saturday night indicates how much more comfortable I’ve become with myself over the years. Of course I still have my insecurities and doubts, but I fundamentally love who I am. I especially love that I can live a life of balance- being able to enjoy a crazy night out with friends while also appreciating the “dorkier” things in life!
In no particular order:
- Made incredible friends- some I have fallen out of touch with; others will be my bridesmaids (in the very distant future haha)
- Joined a sorority; disaffiliated from said sorority
- Had several jobs and internships- a law firm, The Washington Diplomat, Social Enterprise Associates, Ashoka, & LivingSocial
- Had a million random adventures that I will always remember [late night runs to Waffle House, breakfast in Tenleytown after Relay for Life, Cinco de Mayo fun, etc. Wayyyy too many to count]
- Started two little businesses- GW Bites and my Twitter management company, CMR Enterprises
- Met a few [semi] famous people- David Bornstein, Bill Drayton, Thomas Friedman, & Ben Stein
- Saw Obama and Hillary Clinton speak during my first week of freshman year
- Fell in love with the idea of social enterprise
- Volunteered in Belize, New Orleans, & DC
- Co-founded a student organization
- Helped bring Compass Partners to GW
- Had my freshman year roommate become one of my best friends
- Fell in love with North Carolina after I had a chance to distance myself from it for awhile
- Conquered a “big city”
- Had some great roommates but love living alone my last year
- Found, rented, and decorated my own studio apartment
- Fell back in love with cooking
- Made the difficult- but ultimately right- decision not to go abroad
- Spent summers in North Carolina, New Orleans, and DC
- Became insanely close with my sister
- Became obsessed with Twitter
- Stayed in touch with my best friend from home
- Took a whole buncha classes- some fascinating and thought-provoking, others less so
- Took Arabic for a year
- Went to Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Belize, & Israel
- Babysat for countless families
- Continued my Starbucks addiction
- Met a million great acquaintances
- Inherited two amazing sisters-in-law and the most precious baby nephew in the world
- Spent hours pondering the future
- Watched every Friends episode about twelve times
- Laughed and cried for hours
- Started this blog as a way to document my daily life; expanded it into a cooking blog
- Was at the White House the night Obama was elected. Was on the Mall the day he was inaugurated.
- Watched as Twitter exploded with the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death
- Volunteered at the Washington Diplomat’s golf tournament for four straight years
This short list doesn’t even begin to do justice to my four years at The George Washington University. I still vividly remember the first week of college- standing awkwardly with hundreds of freshmen outside Thurston, waiting to figure out where the “cool” spots were. Dinner with my roommate’s parents at Pizza I. Roaming the hallways and elevators with my brand-new friends to try to meet even more new people.
And I will always remember this final week of senior year: crazy adventures with my close friends. Reflecting on the past four years. Looking forward to the next chapter of life. Solidifying my job for after graduation. And starting tomorrow, celebrating my successes with my family- and commemorating the college graduation of the last of the Robert Roman clan!
So here’s to embracing the future but holding the past with us always. And as we move on to the next bigger and better things, let’s be sure to remember the moments- both good and bad- that got us where we’re going.
Scintillating Simplicity 