A Senior’s To-Do List

I can’t believe this is my last year at Bethel. Ok, now that the cliché is out of the way…I am trying my hardest to not think about the end already; I’m less than 48 hours into this year. But it is intimidating and bittersweet. I’m spending the year in a mod full of some of the sweetest girls on campus. And, most of us are single, we have the world at our feet, after all! I don’t need to think about leaving this home already. Yesterday as we all moved in, the excitement was so tangible we were bouncing with glee… skipping to supper!… singing loudly… shouting inappropriately loud whenever we saw old friends… giggling ridiculously at bubbles to ease our unpacking mess… and finding extreme joy in rocket balloons–and now everyone in the mods surrounding 7B also know the joys, or ear aches, of rocket balloons. But what comes next is inevitable… real world. Real job. The normal worries of a college senior are no stranger to me. HOWEVER–this year is full of potential. And I’ve spent many hours the past few weeks thinking about all the things I haven’t done, and should have done as a student at Bethel College. So my mental to-do list is about to become posted, and I suppose here for all you readers to keep me accountable. -I want to go to Winfield bluegrass festival. I don’t know if it’s money, class schedule, or intimidation, but I’ve never made it to this Bethel and Newton community standard. Appalling, considering I love bluegrass music. -I will attend local concerts and shows. Wichita has theaters and opportunities I just haven’t taken advantage of in the past. The symphony costs $5 for students! A major broadway show that I’ve always wanted to see will be there in October. Plus numerous other activities I have yet to look up… but I will!-I will try my darnedest to follow through with one of my ideas–I’m notorious in my group of friends for coming up with the ideas of fun, silly, and daring activities to entertain ourselves. And then I never follow through. I let them walk away to prank another mod, or decorate the bathroom with a canopy, but shake my head disapprovingly as I stay in my room–I was only joking when I shared the idea! It’s always a disappointment to them. But this year, I’ll follow through with one. -I will go to the Kansas MCC sale. I’m from Iowa, and though I enjoy the food, I’m never deeply moved to attend our MCC Sale. But I’ve heard rave reviews about this MCC Sale. And last year a friend brought me back a box of New Year’s Cookies… I’m hooked. I’ll make an appearance my last year of college. -I want to spend more time away from my computer and interacting with people… good thing I signed on to blog this year! I am a homebody, but I also love the random conversations and deeper insights into the people I live with that occur when I “go visiting” in the evening, stopping in to say hi to persons I have class with, or didn’t get to see during the day. -I suppose I can’t put “be less emotional” on my list of to-do’s, but I can make it a goal to embrace the confusion, drama and awkwardness of another year with maturity, poise and grace.