Anywhere but here...

Springfield is boring the hell out of me. Don't get me wrong-I love my Springfield friends dearly, and am always sure to have a great time while I'm out with them, but I sincerely feel like I'm out of place among the cornfields and capitol building. Ye Olde Land of Lincoln will always have a dear place in my heart; however, I am feeling (day by day) the overwhelming urge that I don't belong here. Example: I've always wanted to intern in Washington D.C., and eventually start my career out there. However, over the past year and a half, I've put it off thanks to other opportunities that have come up. I don't have any regrets from the way I have done things in college (except one, but it had nothing to do w/ schooling or internships and we won't get into it now). I'm a person who has adopted the motto CARPE DIEM and I don't believe in regret-it gets you nowhere-we learn from all experiences and (hopefully) become better people and make better choices because of it. However, I don't want to graduate this year, find a job, fall in love, and just SETTLE. And I'm sincerly afraid that if I stay in Springfield, this is going to happen to me, and I am certain it would result in unhappiness and possible resent-both things I plan to avoid at all costs in life. So, in an attempt to follow my dreams and experience all life has to offer, I do believe I'm going to finally plunge right into life in D.C. following my graduation this year. Maybe it won't be forever, maybe I'll decide it's not the right life for me-but I'll still have the experience-and that will make it all worth it. It's about time I've done something just for ME and not just because my parents/family and/or friends think it's a good choice.

And that's just the career plans. I've also made another vow, this one having to do with relationships:

I, Amy Hodges, vow to NEVER hide my feelings (due to fears centering around embarassment/rejection/etc.) for a person ever again, because I've learned that the worst feeling of all is not embarassment, or rejection, but REGRET. And wondering "what might have been"-constantly replaying events in your mind and wondering how it would have played out another way. Like I said, there's only been one (regret). And I swear if I've learned one lesson, it's to never let that happen again.

From this moment on...I'm living my life for ME. Because in the long run, that's the only way I'll be truly happy.

Carpe Diem.