One letter changed my life the spring of my senior year. Inside it contained not only admittance to my dream school, but an offer to make it more affordable than the college in my home state of North Dakota. It was a no brainer to join the Cowboy family in Stillwater, Oklahoma in the fall of 2015.
As I packed my belongings into my pickup and drove away from home, I had no idea how much this experience would shape me into who I am today. Sure 18 hours from home was a bit of a drive, but I knew it was something I needed to do. Many only see the photo quality moments of my college experience thus far. However, after moving over 1,000 miles from home, there are many hardships that I haven't shared, until now that is. My first year in college I had a hard time finding friends because my classes had over 300 people in them, many not sharing my interests. I hated Oklahoma after my first semester and all I wanted was to pack my bags and head home. It wasn't until finals week of my first year at Oklahoma State that I decided to stay. North Dakota state had actually accepted me to transfer there in the fall. On my drive to work that week, I was overcome with emotions I had never experienced before. It was so emmesne that I had to pull over on the side of the road. I immediately thought to myself, what are you doing?! You can't just give up on your dream school and go home. Sure that would have been acceptable and there was nothing wrong with that, but I knew I was capable of so much more than that. I'm so thankful God had shown me that on that particular day, or I would not have had the vision or strength to pull my life back onto its course. As I now look back on my college career spent in Stillwater, I am so glad I stayed. It has not been perfect Instagram pictures, a walk in the park, or just plain "luck." To be here I have had to miss holidays, precious time with family, and much more I will never be able to get back. I have had to make sacrifices in friendships, relationships, the list goes on in order to follow my dream. The hardest part about being so far from home is the feeling of being half-hearted. Half of my heart is in North Dakota and half of it in Oklahoma. Whichever place I am at currently, my heart hurts for the other. I feel out of place at home because I am gone for often six months at a time, and so I'm way out of the loop upon my return. Missing the birth of my baby brother last year torn my heart. I sat in my kitchen that November night weeping because I couldn't hold him or tell him how excited I was to meet him. Being away from home never gets easier and neither does leaving, but you learn through time to focus on the "see you soon" and not the dreaded "goodbyes". Despite the heartache, this decision has only made me stronger, more independent, and adaptable to any situation. This opportunity did not present itself through luck. I have had to work my tail off in order to be successful and just stay afloat being so far from home. For me that has meant 18 hours of school each semester, being an officer of three clubs, and working two jobs. Needless to say I don't sleep often, but hey sleep is for the birds right? Unfortunately, family can't just come visit me to comofort me from a bad day. I have to be strong enough to pick myself up after the hard days and move forward one boot at a time. This decision has not been glamorous, I have had failures, I have made mistakes, and by no means do I have it all figured out. However, attending a university out of state has allowed me to elevate myself to accomplish goals I thought were plain crazy previously. If you have a whole awful lot of dedication, self-discipline, and effort, any goal you set before yourself is attainable. In my mind there is NO such thing as luck, in fact I rather dislike the word in this context. When you have done nothing but hustle and put your whole heart into something, the word luck better not be anywhere near that. The term hustle is the one that will set you apart, not luck. So keep on hustlin' each and every single day, YOU are in charge of your path. Don't let small minds and those who hide behind their iPhone keyboards determine what dreams can be attained. Hustle and heart with set you apart. (So will moving halfway across the county, but I don't think you need to be as drastic as my gypsy self.)
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AuthorThis is a blog to share many stories, laughs, adventures and lessons learned by yours truly, Haley Potter. Archives
July 2023
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