Here I was. I still couldn't believe college had flew right past me. Yesterday felt like I had just walked into my dorm room for the first time.
I was a recent college graduate with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Spanish and Sociology. I was an unemployed graduate who had returned back to Chicago- a place I never saw myself living after high school.
A recent Pew Research article shows that though employment may be on the rise, the number of millennials living on their own is down.
Why should this be frowned upon?
I think we millennials are actually quite smart. We aren’t afraid to go for what we really want to do. Some of our generation chooses to not just take any job that we aren’t happy in. I think that shows the most ambition.
Now, I'm not saying we should go live at home with our parents and rely on them forever. Instead, I believe this is a great stepping stone for us to get our life in track before really being alone.
Returning home to figure out my life was the
best thing that could have happened to me.
Contrary to what I had hoped, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows right away. I had a rocky several months before my plan and goals finally came together.
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I’ve been dreaming of living in LA ever since my parents moved me away from San Francisco as a kid. So here I was, a 21 year old young adult, who decided I was going to do it. I decided I would waitress at home for a few months then pack my bags and finally make the big move.
My life was seriously pretty boring. I got to sleep in everyday, go to the gym, then go to work. I also got an email for another reporting position during this time and I still declined it.
(That’s when you know)
I remember my mom consistently telling me to focus on yourself right now, but what did that mean? I was honestly bored. I was still stuck in college mode and wanting to go back. I experienced post college depression for months. I would go out frequently with the few friends that lived here and a new semi-boyfriend I had at the time, but I was never satisfied. After doing that for a few months, I decided it was best to look for a “real job."
Best decision I ever made.
It only took a couple months of horrible interviews and a long-drawn out break-up to land my first real job! I knew I wanted to pursue writing, entertainment, and/or social media but the options are limited in Chicago. I ended up landing a SEO internship with a smaller company. In my interview I explained how I need a break from television news and want to focus more on the social media side. Right away, I took over and revamped our social channels to increase our engagement.
Now I had an awesome job, a great family, some friends that still lived here, but something was still missing.
It took me awhile to realize my college years were NOT the best years of my life. I had to hit rock bottom to figure out it was only going up from here! :)
