No sweating the missed exits

So, senior year… what a bundled mess of stress.

Nothing really goes as planned, ever. Who was going to tell me how many curve balls this world was going to throw me?

Going through heartbreak is one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through. And I've (almost) been through college. Crazy to say I only have one more semester to go. Nothing has ever been this challenging for me emotionally.

So, what did I do about it? Cry. A lot. I’m human, I can’t help it.

Thank goodness for the friendships I built throughout college. My two closest friends are now my roommates. They bring so much support, joy, and warmth into my life.

Who else brings me happiness? My lovely dad.

He has always been there for me. We are like two peas in a pod. Or we would say, “like coffee and creamer.” (we don’t actually say that – I just know he would agree with that comparison and think it represented us).

This boyfriend of mine was a major part of my life, and it was hard getting back on track after he was gone. So, I turned to my roommates, my friends, my brother, and ultimately my dad. He knew exactly what I was going through and knew just how to help.

It felt like I had so much more free time to myself! It was great. Or so it seemed up until I got bored. I turned to journaling to write down my feelings. Pencil to paper is so healing. I feel like I wrote more this week than in my communication courses.

I turned to music in my free time. Blasting Taylor Swift in the shower is a must. Turning up to Olivia Rodrigo in my car rides to work is unmatched. Don’t Blame Me, 22, Bejeweled, I Did Something Bad. Logical, vampire, favorite rime, happier, and 1 step forward, 3 steps back.

Looking back, maybe it was necessary to take time for myself. To really focus on my academics, my friendships, and my family. Suddenly, I had time to hang out with the closest people in my life! The best part of the work-life balance in my opinion.

Recently, my dad visited me to have a father-daughter day! We drove to lunch first then to Selinsgrove after. But, this was no regular trip.

Remember when I said that things don't typically go as planned? Well, that fully applies for this outing. We were on the road for longer than expected. Why? We missed an exit! We got so invested in our conversation that we lost track of the signs on the road and drove right by our exit. I’m taking this as a positive. To get so distracted by a quality conversation with your favorite person is such a blessing.

This 30-minute drive to lunch quickly turned into a 2-hour drive for lunch! And it was to a BBQ joint on top of a mountain overlooking the river called Skeeters. What a great, picturesque view, accompanied by even better food! What an experience this was. But, let me tell you, the destination was so worth it. Worth the time and distress. Because there’s something great waiting at the end.

This stage of my life is definitely the car ride on the highway with multiple missed exits. It feels like nothing is going as planned. I’m sure I’ll get to my BBQ joint soon. It will be okay.

— Kathryn Henriksen, a senior communication studies major at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg with an emphasis on organizational communication, is interning with the Office of Marketing and Communications this fall. She is a native of Pottstown who loves Andy Grammer, Nutella, and all 10 seasons of Friends.

#BloomOnward #HuskyLife

Life is best with balance

School can be a lot at times. I know, who can’t relate?

Not sure why it took me three years and six semesters to realize that college is way more than just going to classes. It’s important to invest yourself into the campus culture. You know as they say … get involved, put yourself out there, meet people.

By the end of last year, I found myself active in three clubs. Something almost impossible for me to make time for in high school with my 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule. Then my day ended with field hockey practice and games after school. It felt like I only had time for homework afterwards.

I figured college would be different. But this different?

I love how college offers so much diversity, allowing you to pick up new interests, join clubs, and build friendships. However, this can all end up being a lot by your senior year. Somehow, year after year my classes and extracurriculars added up to be a little too much for me to handle. After a day on campus, I would barely have time to talk to my roommates.

Even as a senior in college, I can’t seem to get this down. I thought I could handle all of the clubs and classes alongside my internship and job. Some people — like my boyfriend, Ben — can function off three hours of sleep.

But for me, I NEED the eight hours.

I knew some changes needed to be made as I got to the second week of classes. I got a calendar to write down my day-to-day schedule. I made it a priority to schedule time for rest. College is a time for discovering yourself and that comes with realizing what’s best for you. For me, I was overwhelmed and wrote down my classes and club meetings on my lovely TJ Maxx calendar, which I use every day.

I now have time for quality time with my roommates, Sophie and Annie. Baking cookies in my apartment with my two favorite girls is an essential part to my time here at Bloomsburg. I tend to think I can do it all, but I know I’m not a superhero. Humans have limits. And, crazy enough, we are human. It’s necessary to have a social life and time to yourself!

Have fun while you can and make the most out of these four years with your roommates. These are the times you’ll remember. We spent time on the little couch in our living watching horror movies anxiously stuffing Pop-secret popcorn into our mouths are the nights. As someone that’s terrified of gory horror movies, watching the Chainsaw Massacre absolutely traumatized me.

All three of us would congregate in the living room and kitchen area catching up on our days like we haven’t seen each other in years. A core memory of college. Enjoying family dinner as we all cook our own little meals together on Mondays. This recent week featured two versions of stir-fry and homemade tacos that lasted us all week!

Sophie, Annie, and I realized that a great hack to being a college student on a low budget is cooking meals on Monday and eating them throughout the week! We love to meal prep and act like adults in our little kitchen. Doing this together on Mondays is a new tradition of ours we look forward to. It gets us pumped for the week as we encourage each other.

Make intentional time for yourself. You might not think you need it, but college is also a time of self-discovery. Some self-reflection is important to find your true self. I value my time in college for allowing me to experience self-discovery. When I reflect, I consider how I feel in the morning, before my class, after an exam, and at night when the day is complete. When the emotions reveal themselves, I better understand my needs. Journaling with my precious BIC pencil in my little pink notebook helps to ground myself in the mornings. De-compressing on my dark brown couch after a long day of classes at 4:30 p.m. calms me down.

Putting on my favorite TV series, FRIENDS and mindlessly scrolling through TikTok allows me to escape but also laugh hysterically. FRIENDS has always been there for me. It’s literally in their intro song, “I’ll be there for you.” They do not fail. They make me laugh when I’m already happy, cheer me up when I’m down, and comfort me no matter what. At this point, it is background noise as I do my homework or scroll through Instagram and TikTok. My recent obsession on TikTok is funny videos like the @sturnoliotriplets late at night.

Times like this allow me to enjoy life’s purest moments. It brings me joy and peace during overwhelming times. I’m having fun while having time for myself. I can perform better in my studies, hangout with friends in my free-time, exercise at the rec center, and chat with friends on my way to class. It may seem like a lot all at once to try and balance everything.

Annie always says to just do “one thing at a time.”

Life is best with balance. I would see my roommates sitting on the couch with their stir fry and realize I might be too busy if I don’t have intentional time to eat and chat. My senior year is supposed to be fun and more relaxed. I am going to make that happen. My last year at Bloomsburg is looking like the best yet!

The next chapter comes sooner than you know it! I didn't believe them when they said that time flies in college. But now that I’m a senior, there’s no truer statement.

— Kathryn Henriksen, a senior communication studies major at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg with an emphasis on organizational communication, is interning with the Office of Marketing and Communications this fall. She is a native of Pottstown who loves Andy Grammer, Nutella, and all 10 seasons of Friends.

#BloomOnward #HuskyLife