Now that Milan has officially come to a close and I am comfortably in the US with Chipotle back in my arms (where it belongs), I have had the chance to really look back at my entire experience and see that the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
Milan was not just a place where I was able have once in a lifetime experiences, but a catalyst for me to understand how my past development shapes my potential future. During the last week I was dealing with an internal conflict between excitement for coming home and a bit of panic for what is going to happen next.
An internship? Graduation? Real life?
An internship? Graduation? Real life?
The most prominent lesson that I have learned from looking back is that you shouldn't ever settle for half, even if you feel like it is the only option.
If I settled for half, I wouldn’t have met my favorite fashion blogger in person. If I settled for half, I wouldn’t have been offered a job to work with models for Milan Fashion Week. If I settled for half, my butterfly suit wouldn’t be complete.
I have read over the posts I wrote during my time there and I think the collective summary is to make the most of everything: you, your environment, your friends, and your opportunities. There have been so many times where I thought, "Well, this is good, but can I get something better?" And I realized that if I even have to ask that question, then I already know that I can get more out of it. “It” could be anything—your work, someone close to you, even yourself.
I have read over the posts I wrote during my time there and I think the collective summary is to make the most of everything: you, your environment, your friends, and your opportunities. There have been so many times where I thought, "Well, this is good, but can I get something better?" And I realized that if I even have to ask that question, then I already know that I can get more out of it. “It” could be anything—your work, someone close to you, even yourself.
Necessarily, however unfortunate, we all go through situations where we accept less than what we deserve because we can't see what may be coming our way and we don't want to miss on the opportunity that is present. I know there is the phrase "A bird in hand is better than two in the bush,” but I think that this is a stale and timid way of looking at an opportunity that doesn't allow you to develop confidence in your abilities to obtain and achieve what you truly want. I think I am just facing my mid-college crisis and can only think about where I may potentially intern this upcoming summer or how my thesis is just barely in its incubation phase. But those are the things I have to deal with now in order to make a difference or lasting impression somewhere else, even if I don't currently know where that "else" is--growing pains, if you will.
Growth does not move in a straight path. But from my point of view, even if you turn left or right, your feet are still pointing forward.
As for the growth of this blog, I am going to continue posting and exploring the stuff I seem to get myself into. I really have appreciated all of the encouragement and support from everyone who takes the time to read my posts—it makes me feel like I am moving in the write direction with something I love. Every person who reads is another reason why I keep writing. So I want to make sure that what I write applies to those who read. Next post will talk about something everyone has asked me at least once. I hope you stay tuned :)