Kent Otto

Some say graduation changes everything.

For the most part, it’s true. But I’m guessing not as much as it once did. Many of us choose post-undergraduate paths that carry us to different areas of the world and force us to leave behind memories, friends, family and a sense of comfort. And while it’s tough to do so, our generation has become so incredibly connected – via phone, Facebook, blogs, etc. — that it’s almost impossible to escape our pasts – which can be both a positive and negative outcome.

My “last” summer after graduation consisted of celebrations with friends who would soon be separated by thousands of miles, a car trip from Boston to Los Angeles and the start of a new job and new life on the West Coast. Needless to say, I haven’t slowed down since that day in middle May.

Now I’m sitting with a new world in front of me, one with streets to learn, foods to eat, people to meet and a career to build.

Rewind to five years earlier. I made a much similar life transition. While at the time this seemed as significant of a change, it appears petty now. Though making the move from a high school graduating class of 19 to an entering freshman class of 400 — and surviving it — is still an impressive accomplishment, the road between there and here was certainly filled with stepping stones that made this one much easier.

And of course, I have my time at Drury to thank. Had I not joined the organizations that I did and taken the classes I chose, I simply wouldn’t be where I am today. Those choices led me to a group of friends who literally mean the world to me, far away lands I had barely heard of and life opportunities that would otherwise seem completely unachievable.

It seems we spend a good deal of time in our undergraduate careers worrying about the “real world.” Many try to escape it, some are ready to move on and others have no plan at all. I think I felt a combination of those as I moved towards the end of my tenure at Drury. It’s hard to leave a comfortable spot where you’re socially established, a trip to the mall doesn’t require the use of a GPS, and you can rent a two bedroom apartment for less than $700 a month.

Sure, it’s tough to part ways with all of that. But what do you gain by not doing so? Probably very little.
So far, I’m greatly enjoying my “real world” experience…at least as real as living in Orange County, California can really be. I’m moved into a condo, furniture is assembled, my license now reads “California” and I’m typically settled into bed by 11 p.m. If the sleeping pattern alone doesn’t scream “real world,” I’m not sure what does.

But it’s hard to comprehend the lack of direction the real world provides. Up to graduation, we live our lives in segments – months until school is out, days until it begins again, weeks until Christmas, etc. Most live a relatively rhythmic, constant life. Walks down roads “less traveled” will likely be a part of such life, but for the most part, we stay on the straight and narrow. Following – and completing – is how we often gauge success in our culture.

Success after that point is not as easily described.

It’s all a blur from here…and I’m okay with that. Uncertainty is refreshing, energizing and, somehow, even comforting.