So I’m a just about a month away from graduation. If we’re being specific (and I have been) it’s 37 days away.  That’s five weeks away. That’s thirteen days of classes away.

I won’t lie, as excited as I’ve been for graduation this entire year, I’m a little nervous. School is all I’ve known my entire life. And I know there’s so much more life to live outside of school but there’s something about the routine of it that’s comforting. Tomorrow, I’ll wake up and know exactly what I’m doing. My alarm will go off around 7:30. I’ll get dressed, go to campus, probably get Starbucks, sit outside my classroom, do some work, go to class. Then I’ll go home, eat a late lunch, and get ready for the weekend. In about a month, life won’t be that predictable anymore. And now, making graduation plans, it seems very, very real.

And now, making graduation plans, it seems very, very real. Yesterday, my friends and I made an appointment to have our graduation pictures done. Next week, I’m buying my cap and gown. I’ve picked out my cap design and we’re planning and wine and cap decorating night. There’s plans for senior week: passdowns, a dinner, a sunrise hike. We’re making plans to do things for the last time: dinner at our favorite restaurants, Greek Sing, vineyard and lavender farm trips. In 37 days I’ll be moving away from the place I’ve called home—despite my mixed feelings about it—for the past four years.

But 37 days also starts a freedom I’ve been looking forward to. For four years, I’ve lamented that I didn’t have time to do the things that I wanted because I did school work instead. As of right now, these are my post-graduation plans:

1. This blog. I’ll be focusing a lot more time on my blog. With no school work or classes to attend to, I can really work on growing it and taking it into the direction I wanted but haven’t had the time to put into it.
2. My Instagram. I have been focusing more energy into my Instagram that accompanies this account but I think that’s because it’s quicker and on the go. It fit into my hectic college lifestyle a lot better. So maybe not necessarily more time but more focused time. I’m hoping that the freedom of no school will also give me more time to travel and not miss out on things that I’ve missed in the past.
3. Writing. Arguably, the most important thing I’ve focusing on. I’ve given up a lot of my writing time to school work and I am so excited to have days devoted to working on my next book. I have about forty ideas in various stages of completion and I cannot wait to start working on them.
4. Your Novel Year. While this focuses on writing, it’s like school. There’s assignments and readings and study questions every week. And since the program is mainly online, sometimes, it gets lost in the shuffle of my more immediate in-person classes. Without school, I’ll have more time to focus on that work and the book I’m working on through that program. I’m also excited because when this eight-week block ends for YNY, mentorships begin. We get to work with a published author on the book we’re writing and I’m looking forward to having one-on-one time to go over my work.
5. Editing and Publishing. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m working with an editor to get my first book ready for publishing. I’m sending off my manuscript for her to review, and when I finish school, I’ll meet with her discuss it. I haven’t had a ton of one-on-one time for my writing in my college career so I can’t wait for it post-graduation.

The road to graduation has been long and filled with laughs, tears, stress and good times. And now I’m on the final stretch, the sprint towards the finish line. I’m excited and nervous and scared I’ll trip at the ceremony. But I’m really looking forward to what’s coming after.