No Regrets, No Missed Opportunities

Currently, I'm enjoying my last couple of weeks in China at my grandparents in Fuzhou. It's weird being away from Beijing, being away from the two week study trip. I realized this morning that I am officially a senior in college. It hit me and I had a minor panic attack but am now letting this scary thought fully sink into my brain. Where has time gone? When did this all happen?

Being away from Beijing and the entire study abroad experience for a few days now, I've been processing a little bit--thinking about all that I've learned and seen. I smile the most thinking about all the conversations that I had with my friend Madison. We met way back on the first day in January when we both arrived at Peking University and instantly clicked. Throughout the semester we got to know one another more and more but I think we truly grew close during the two week study trip.

This girl and I had many, many heart-to-hearts about almost everything: school, internships, faith, futures, family, boys, life, and anything in between. We had this saying: No Regrets, No Missed Opportunities. I'd like to think that I have lived the past 20 years of my life without any regrets. I truly believe that I haven't and I pray that I continue to live without having any regrets. When I'm old and probably sitting next to Madison again, I want to be able to look her and anybody else and tell them that I've lived my life to the fullest. NO REGRETS.

It's hard though sometimes to make that one tough decision, knowing that you'll have to live with it for the rest of your life. But honestly, don't rush the decision. Give yourself time to sit quietly and think through options. As cheesy as it may sound, follow what your gut tells you. It's true when they say that your gut doesn't lie. Lastly, don't let others make a decision for you because when you let that happen, that's when the regrets start creeping in. Do things for YOU, not for anybody else.

After hugging Madison goodbye in Guangzhou, through tears we choked out: No Regrets, No Missed Opportunities. At the airport, I was surfing through Twitter and came across the most perfect Jane Fonda quote:

It's never too late - never too late to start over, never too late to be happy

Truth be told, a few months ago I was feeling stuck. Not completely sure what I was doing with my life and where I was headed. Remember that mid mid-life crisis? It hit me though. I'm 20 years old. My life is just beginning. I shouldn't feel stuck. This is the time in my life where I am the most free! No obligations. I can do whatever I want. Chase after those opportunities! Chase after those dreams! Like Jane Fonda says, it's NEVER too late! Make those changes. Create that new beginning for yourself.