Summer is coming to an end

I can't believe summer is almost over. As I write this, I have less than two weeks before I leave for my second year of college. Where did the time go? I can remember sitting on my dorm floor making plans for the summer with my hall mates or coming up with a list of fun things I wanted to do when I got back home. This summer went by faster than I thought it would. I've also learned so much more than I thought I would.

This summer has provided such an amazing opportunity to explore my interests, connect with people, and understand my self-worth.

Here's what I've learned professionally:

• I want to have a career with passion, purpose, and pay

• I want to be constantly moving with challenges and problems I need to solve at every step

• Find something that involves creativity, connecting, communication, and ability to try new things and take on more

• Surrounded by ambitious, determined, and thoughtful people

• Competitive but not cut throat, care about continuous improvement and growth personally and professionally

• Constantly learning new things and have the ability to teach and bring up others

Here's what I've learned personally:

• I have to love myself before loving anyone else. Loving myself will help me sustain healthy relationships.

• I have to be vulnerable with people in my life to forge lasting and amazing connections. While it's hard to be vulnerable, it's the only way to truly connect with people.

• Not everything goes to plan. While I always plan and like being prepared, things don't always work out the way I want them to.

• Never have regrets. While I wish I could do some things differently, I can't and why would I? The choices I made shaped who I am today.

• Confidence and self-worth come from within. No one else can make me feel confident or help me understand what I'm worth. That's on me.

I'm really glad I had this time to self-reflect and learn more about myself. There's so much I have to offer, and I can't wait to see where these new realizations take me.