This past semester has been a whirlwind of blogging in order to finish my bucket list before graduation, but if you’ve been reading my blog regularly, you’ll have noticed that my blog-a-day mentality slowed earlier in May and completely stopped about a month ago. So, what have I been up to during that time?
I graduated!
One of the biggest things that happened recently was my graduation from college! May 11th was a long, hot day with two graduation ceremonies: the big one in Kenan Stadium and the J-school’s commencement for its 310 graduates in Carmichael Arena. The day was full of goodbyes to Carolina blue-clad friends and celebrations of all the memories we made and things we learned while at UNC. It’s surreal to think that 16 years of schooling is over and I’m no longer a student. I would be lying if I said I didn’t blast Carolina in My Mind on repeat and cry all the way home from Chapel Hill that night. I’ll miss my time as a student, but as Brooke Baldwin of CNN, our speaker at the J-school graduation and a UNC alum told us, I’m a Tarheel for life.
I traveled to Greece!
I spent the last two weeks of May traveling around Greece with my two junior year roommates and best friends. We spent a day seeing the sights in Athens and then traveled by ferry to the Greek islands of Mykonos, Santorini and Crete before ending up in Athens again before our flight home. The islands were absolutely gorgeous, and we ate lots of delicious Greek food. Some of my favorite memories from the trip include riding a donkey, climbing an (active!) volcano, seeing the sunset over Santorini from a boat, wine-tasting in a Greek vineyard, watching a movie in an outdoor movie theater with a view of the Parthenon, swimming in the clear water of the beaches of Mykonos and seeing the birthplace of democracy in the Agora of Athens. I loved taking on Greece with two of my favorite people and making so many amazing memories with them.
I was in a wedding!
I’ve known plenty of people who have gotten married over the past few years (sometimes I wonder how I know any single people from back home as I’m constantly seeing engagement rings on my news feed), but this wedding was special to me. Amanda was one of my best friends in high school and we’ve stayed in touch through college, even though I’ve been in Chapel Hill while she’s been in Wake Forest. She and her new husband, Justin, complement each other so well. They’re both kind and hard-working, and her cheerful, spontaneous outlook on life is evenly balanced with his organized, schedule-loving personality. I was so excited when Justin proposed to her and this weekend, it was heartwarming to look back over Amanda’s life and see what had led to this happy day. I’m so glad I got to share in her joy and be a bridesmaid in her wedding, even if I was wearing a Duke blue dress.
People keep asking me the question you ask all college graduates: what’s next? For me, the answer is that I’m still figuring that out. Like many of my fellow graduates, I’m still on the hunt for a job or internship that’s the right fit for me. I’ve been spending lots of time submitting applications, writing cover letters and interviewing with HR. I’m trying to strike a balance between not planning too far ahead so I’ll be available to start a job at a moment’s notice, but also staying productive and having fun! Here’s a couple of the items on my summer bucket list:
- Complete the UNC Business Essentials certificate program.
I’ve had a few friends who have done the UNC Business Essentials program, which is an online graduate certificate program from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC. I’ve been a college grad for less than a month and I already miss learning, so I’m excited to jump back in and learn about the basics of business.
- Write more.
One of my favorite things about my classes this past semester was that it gave me a reason to write. I’ve always wanted to blog about the things I find interesting – current events, public relations, books I’m reading, social media, technology – but haven’t been able to justify spending the time writing when I should be studying for classes. My goal is to take advantage of some of my free time and write! I’ll mostly be posting on this blog, but if you’re looking for content, I’d love to write for you too!
- Watch the Bachelorette.
I’m a shameless fan of the Bachelor/Bachelorette, and the best part is the running commentary that my friend Caitlin and I have going during the show – in person during the Bachelor over the school year, and through text during the Bachelorette over the summer. I was a huge fan of Andi last season, especially after her sassy and honest takedown of Juan Pablo, and I’m so excited for this season of the Bachelorette!
- Read!
I’m not going to pretend that being busy ever keeps me from reading because I read obsessively, even if I’m so busy that I only have time to read for half an hour before bed. But there are several books coming out this summer that I’m really excited about (Landline by Rainbow Rowell is one of them) and chances are pretty high that I’ll spend some time in Barnes and Noble finding great books to read on the beach or airplane. (Need some recommendations? Check out this Buzzfeed post from Crown Publishing of the top 100 books you should read this summer. I’ve read and loved about half these books and am adding the rest to my summer reading list!)
- Figure out what’s next.
Although I would have loved to jump right into the next stage of my life with a summer internship, I’m enjoying the fact that I can spend my time writing cover letters and applying for jobs in the sun. However, I love being busy and am ready to figure out what I’ll be doing next. I’m excited to be interviewing and hope to find a job soon!
Lauren Kostenberger 