Important Dates: Blog Post #3

 There are many parts of my life that are important to me. The three most important ones so far are the first day of freshman year at college, the first day of the COVID pandemic, and graduating high school. The first day of freshman year almost felt like a fever dream. Leaving my hometown in the early hours of the morning to the place I would spend the next four years of my life. It was scary but also felt so important to me; it was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I grew up going to private Catholic schools my whole life, so going to a public university was something I always wanted to experience. Meeting new people from different areas, and living in a new environment and a new town was something so exciting to me. 

The first day of the COVID pandemic is something people would not expect me to choose as an important date. Yes, it sounds like a weird date, but that year marked a transformation for me. After returning home during my freshman year of college, I grew very anxious and isolated. It was a hard time for everyone and I began to understand why it was so difficult. I missed the newfound freedom in college, my new best friends, and having my own room. I began going to online therapy to work on my mental health, and it was the best decision of my life. Every week, I was taking very small baby steps to work on my mental health. Overall, 

I will always remember that first day home as a pivotal moment in improving my health. 

The last important date in my life was graduating high school. This can kind of connect to going to college, but it was a rewarding experience. It was one of the first moments where I was truly proud of myself and my accomplishments so far. Family and friends surrounded me, and we celebrated all day. Graduating high school was a turning point in my life because I was able to understand my potential and made me excited for my future. 

If I could relive any moment in my life, I would love to experience seeing Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman Tour again. I went on the tour with some of my high school friends on February 6, 2017 (the 6th year anniversary is sometime this week). It was in DC at Capital One Arena and it was the first concert I have been to without an adult. My friends and I had seats on the floor near the stage, which were some of the best seats I have ever had at a concert. I have mentioned before that I have been listening to her music for a while now, and this album was her best one so far. The feeling of pure bliss, happiness, and connectedness I felt was indescribable. Seeing an artist I adore onstage while surrounded by people I love was a perfect moment. That feeling is something I would never forget and love to experience again.

I asked my mother, Cathy, what an important date in her life was, and it took a long time to reflect on which one was her favorite. She ultimately decided on the date, November 2, 1991. This date is the day she got married to my dad, Billy. My mom explained that without this date, she would not have her husband, children, or her grandchild. Cathy elaborated on how those things listened to her reasons why she was living. She finds meaning and purpose in each of us. This date seems very important to her because the following life events after that date are very meaningful to her. Family is very important to my mother, so it made sense why this date is special. Her dates are very different from mine for many reasons. I think the age difference between us and the life experiences we have had are very different. My mother has lived almost her whole life, while I still have the rest of my 20s to experience. She has had more memories, travel stories, and overall fulfillment. The 1960s-80s, the era she grew up in, is also very different from the era of time I grew up in (the early 2000s). Each time period had drastically different experiences or events happening, which I think also had an impact on the difference in stories. I phrased my date as more of a moment of time that I would love to feel again, but hers was an important date that impacted her future.