Kiera Scholten
Living Assistant
I love an adventure. Now, I may not have gone skydiving or climbed Mt. Everest, but my little adventures have been just as exciting. For example, one might follow a limousine through Malibu to see where it goes or what celebrity it might hold — what an adventure.
One of my greatest adventures was spending the past year in Florence, Italy, living with 54 of my now closest friends. I slept in trains, train stations, airplanes, airports and some interesting hostels. I missed trains and planes, got lost, ate interesting food and was followed by the Mafia (or who we thought were the Mafia; it’s a long story). Whatever the adventure might be, it involves trekking through unexplored territory.
I consider every new beginning an adventure. This week many of you are beginning your first year of college, while others are returning to Malibu. Those of you new to Pepperdine are probably excited, nervous or homesick, and you are probably trying to figure out or still wondering why almost every building is abbreviated to three letters (TAC, TCC, CCB). But most importantly you’re beginning a new adventure.
Freshmen and transfers aren’t the only students starting something new. Perhaps you have a new major; perhaps you are about to embark on a year overseas; perhaps you have a new job or internship. All are uncharted territory in your life.
I believe life is a series of new adventures. As I come into my third year at Pepperdine, I still find myself preparing for many new experiences. This year I am starting a new job as an RA for a freshmen hall and beginning a position as a columnist for the Graphic.
Beginning something new is exhilarating, but it doesn’t last forever.
Over the summer, clouding my excitement for this coming school year, I was saddened by the ending of a stage in my life; my study-abroad experience had officially ended. I built up this experience so much before I boarded the airplane to Italy — and my experience lived up to all of the hype. But when it ended, what was I left with? Memories? Yes. Friends? Yes. Pictures? Too many. Money? No. OK, that last one is irrelevant. So what did I have to look forward to?
I began considering the multitude of things I had to anticipate. Every year, every month and every day provides you with the beginning of something new. Even if they seem hard to find, they’re there. It may be life altering such as moving more than a 1,000 miles away from all the people you know and love. Or it may be as simple as trying a new cereal in your usual morning routine. Whatever it might be, look for these beginnings and embrace them.
Though beginnings are often fun, others are difficult. These might include new jobs, new stepparents or new homes. Whatever they might be, each new beginning offers a chance for growth. My experience living in Italy was wonderful, but the beginning was not easy. It took awhile to adjust to the time zone, culture, food and people. But by the end of the year, I had grown and matured in so many ways. So I challenge you — whatever you are beginning this year, look forward to growing.
Remember that after an experience ends, we can then look forward to more new beginnings. The guys in Semisonic pinpointed this idea with their song “Closing Time” — “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” Life is a series of beginnings. And though it is also a series of endings, I would much rather look forward to something than be distraught over losing something.
8-29-2005