My Last Day

Tomorrow is my last day at Southwest Airlines as an Intern. I then have to return to Tyler for school. I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about that. I'd like to be optimistic and think, "Just a year left!" But if I thought that, I would be lying, cause I've got a year and a half left. It's kind of hard to put "just" in front of that...

It's not going to be all so terrible. I've got great friends, brothers that will stand up for me, and a family that cares. I am so thankful for those things, and I do not take them for granted; however, I feel like my issues with returning fall into two parts: 1) narrow-minded imbeciles and 2) knowing that I can do better.

The first one is easy to explain. East Texas isn't know for its open-mindedness. In fact, it would probably be noted for its exceptionally low tolerance of anything outside the realm of WASP. I always knew that, but this summer has really painted a picture for me of the stark contrast between that area and more urban places in the U.S. Especially when quickly going back and forth between the two, it is all too easy to note.

The second one is only sort of complicated. I have more work experience and internships and campus involvement than most graduates have by the time they graduate, but for some reason, I am supposed to get a piece of paper before I can enter the workforce. That drives me up the wall. Most of the skills I have learned have been through work. A couple of my HRD classes have been helpful, but mostly, I have dug in, found ways to make my job look good on a resume, but I am still stuck going to school. I am taking 18 hours this semester because I do not want to do this forever.

I'm feeling a little bittersweet right now. I'm leaving behind some incredible friends, but I'm also returning to the people I mentioned before. I know life is never perfect, but I know it can be better than this.