Post-grad life: Why did I take a year off?

I graduated from college a year ago and my post-grad journey was completely different that I thought it was going to be. Honestly, my last semester was extremely overwhelming because my mom was battling a major health issue and it had a major effect on me. She’s doing amazing now and I’m extremely grateful for that! However, after graduation I decided to take a year off. It was the best decision ever!

The first couple of months were great because I was enjoying the luxury of having so much free time. I continued working at my part-time job that I had during college and doing whatever else that I wanted with my time. I traveled a lot and took it easy. Basically, I was reclaiming my time!

However, half way through the year I began to have anxiety because I didn’t know what was next for me. I had started applying for jobs in my field, but nothing was happening. My days consisted of applying for job after job. After while I felt like I would never work in my field. One day I simply asked God to lead me in the direction that He wanted me to go. I began to seek Him for my purpose and how to work with my gifts. It was impossible to start a new chapter without figuring myself out and what I wanted out of life. I stopped obsessing over finding a job and focused on working on myself first. From then on, that is when I accepted not knowing what was next for me, while being proactive and using my time wisely to prepare myself for my new chapter.

I definitely experienced frustration and had some rough days. I almost let fear persuade me into settling a couple of times. Those were the moments when God checked me, because that is not how He works. He constantly reminded me that He is faithful to ALL of His promises.

The main lesson that I learned from my post-grad journey was patience.  — In the words of Joel Osteen, “Just because you don’t have the details it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t. He wouldn’t be leading you there if He didn’t have a purpose.”

My post-grad journey consisted of a lot of praying and seeking God for clarity on my purpose. Getting aligned with Him was very necessary, before I could get aligned with my purpose. My first year post-grad stretched and challenged me in ways that I didn’t think were possible. There were many times when I questioned why things weren’t happening the way I had planned. God consistently reminded me that I was exactly where He wanted me to be. The process wasn’t easy, but everything that I experienced was so worth it!

Taking a year off to get myself together was the best decision that I’ve ever made. It prepared me for my next journey in life!