Education logo

Stuck in the Endless Cycle of Normality

Watch out! You might just get swept away.

By Bekah BoudreauPublished 5 years ago 5 min read
Like

From a young age, I had various pictures of what post-secondary life would look like for me, and it usually included the surreal expectations of not taking a gap year and only going to University. When I look back at the way my mind worked back then (we're thinking like 10-year-old Bekah), I was quite a princess. I turned my nose up at the thought of taking a year off because I saw it as being lazy, and I was convinced that I'd never want to go back to school if I postponed it. Also, I believed that if you went to college, you were less intelligent than people who went to university, and obviously I could never be viewed as less intelligent than anybody, so I just had to attend university. These perspectives were inspired by what my classmates and teachers said, and I felt pressured to conform to do what everyone else approved of. Clearly, my self-expectations shifted at some point during my adolescence and I decided that taking time off between high school and post-secondary was actually ideal for me, as I was still unsure of what I wanted to pursue. I also realized that although university could be attainable for me, I don't think that it would be ideal as I like more hands-on learning, and I know that my marks would be better in college. Why am I telling you this boring life story? Because since I was able to change this outlook on post-secondary and take the filter off of my eyes that classmates and teachers put on me, I am now currently doing something that I am extremely passionate about and loving every minute of it.

I am currently travelling the world and don't plan on returning back to the endless spiral of normality (AKA post-secondary) for another two years or so. Of course, some people completely disagree with this path, and think that rushing into a program and career that I'm not 100 percent positive about is better than taking my time, earning money, and gaining life experience. They see it as my young self did—laziness. I understand why, but if being lazy means being happy, then I'll take it. I know that the course that I would've applied for last year and most likely accepted a college for is not the career that I want to pursue anymore, and when I had this realization in the summer I was relieved that I wasn't out preparing to start college, but it was also scary to think that I literally completely switched desired professions over-night. This just reassured me even more that I was in fact doing the right thing by taking my time before rushing into college. Some people absolutely love what I'm doing, and most people don't try to hide their jealousy of what I am pursuing. This jealousy usually is shown by adults who clearly aren't the happiest in their career, but also by my friends who got caught up with normality and are currently stressed and miserable in university. This sounds horrible, but I honestly feel a slight amount of pity for these groups of jealous people. This is because they didn't realize their full potential and what made them truly happy. Maybe travelling isn't for them, but maybe earning some extra money in their part-time job made them happy, or just knowing that they were financially and mentally stable was a source of happiness. I couldn't count the amount of people that have told me that they regret not taking a year or so between high school and post-secondary to travel or even just take a break, and now they are burnt out, unhappy, and wishing that they could change the past—which is the worst part of it all. Living your life with regrets can be the heaviest burden of them all. Having to carry on your back all of the "what if's" and "I wish I's" can be the main source of unhappiness, and clearly that is shown in our examples stated above. I knew that if I had even the slightest chance of feeling regretful about my past, in the future, that I would dread moving forward. So why let the ghosts of my past stop me from moving forward and why let this weight on my shoulders push me so deep into the ground? So I said screw it, and I did what I thought would make me happy, and oh boy, I have never felt lighter or happier.

This article isn't about me dragging people who don't agree with my lifestyle choice or that are miserable with their current life situation. I want this article to be targeted towards students nearing the end of high-school who have absolutely no idea what career they want to pursue and feel pressured into going to post-secondary because they don't know what else they would do. It is okay to not go to university/college with all of your friends. It is okay to take time off to live at home and earn more money, and it is okay to step out of your comfort zone and do something crazy like travel for three straight years! So many teenagers nowadays think that they have to pursue post-secondary right away even if they don't know what they want to do. So, they choose a school and they go for generalized programs, but what about second year? What if they don't know what they want to continue and specialize in by then? Waste money on a program they may hate? That is usually the case. My point here isn't that if you're not sure of what your plans should be post secondary that you should just jump on a plane and travel to be happy, but it is to think long and hard about what will make you happy and comfortable and what will be best for you in the end. In ten years, will you be happy with the career you're in or will you be miserable, wishing your life was different? If you want to be willingly swept away in the endless spiral of normality, then go ahead. Just make that you don't feel stuck!

Instagram: @bekahboudreau

Blog: www.shorttravelsblog.wordpress.com

Patreon: www.patreon.com/bekahboudreau

Youtube: www.youtube/bekahboudreau

travel
Like

About the Creator

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.