Personal Narrative On The Odyssey

I remember pacing back and forth in my dorm room blankly staring out the window as snow gently struck the ground.

Everything seemed so pure, everything felt right. I had finally decided on a major, I found my calling, I was ready to venture out on my purpose for this life.

I had just spoken to the editor and chief of The Odyssey and committed to writing an article a week indefinitely, yes life seemed so perfect at that very moment, even the flutter of the snow hitting the ground was so beautiful, and I hate, hate the cold.

Flash-forward nine months and I’m ready to throw my laptop full force at the ground.

When I first began writing for The Odyssey, an online magazine, I was filled with ambition, ideas would constantly flash through my head, I was eager, I had finally found out what I loved to do, what I had wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I am not the best communicator, something my mom will say often, so writing never occurred to me as something I would want to do.

But as luck would have it and after several major changes and A LOT of life contemplation I somehow reached the conclusion that journalism would be the perfect fit for me. At the time I had no idea what I wanted to do in this broad ever so changing field and to be honest I still am not completely sure. Regardless I knew, I just knew journalism was the perfect fit for me.

A few days later I was scrolling through Facebook and saw an article written by a member of The Odyssey. I thought how cool it would be to write, no, to write and actually have people read it.

“Could I do that? Probably not? No, you always plague yourself with doubt. Why not give it a try, just apply what do you have to

lose?”

That decision changed myself and my life.
It’s so cliché isn’t it? Especially this young. We think one thing that happens in our lives can impact us forever and will shape the outcome of who we are, of who we become. But this decision to write for The Odyssey really did change me and my life…

I remember the anticipation of my first article. I was nervous. Excited. Terrified.
Would anyone even read it?
The butterflies, well they were real.

Now as I’m sitting here today writing my last article for The Odyssey I can’t help but be immensely grateful.

I’ve learned my biggest weaknesses and developed equally applicable strengths.
I’ve discovered passion.
Dived so far past my comfort zone it’s not even there anymore.
I’ve had the ability to create and express myself in ways I never thought were possible.
I’ve realized that a weekly deadline in college when life is way too much to handle already can be extremely challenging.
I’ve learned to cut myself a break when it’s far past due.
That giving myself a break doesn’t make me any less intelligent, any less ambitious. That it was okay to let stuff go.

As I write my last article, it all feels surreal.
The person I was nine months ago.
Who I’ve become today.
It’s hard to put into words how thankful I am for the opportunities The Odyssey has given me. How much it’s helped me grow.

Looking through my past articles I can’t help but think…
“Those are my thoughts”
What a bittersweet feeling.

I really don’t know what else to say.
Except, thank you, thank you, The Odyssey.