A College Thunderstorm

You know all the excitement and fascination that occurs right before a really big storm? I love that feeling. It wasn't any different all day today. Weather statements were given hours before the "big storm" arrived. I kept taking glimpses out the window to see the changing sky as it turned from sunny, to cloudy, to dark gray, to dark black. Then, a tornado warning was issued. It didn't phase me. I don't think it phased the campus at all. I stood on the balcony on my apartment, watching people go about their day as if there were no warning at all. I just wanted to see the storm begin.

I noticed the sky seemed to get as dark as it could be within seconds. Everything was at a standstill. There was no wind, no birds chirping. Then, out of nowhere, it happened. The winds picked up as Mother Nature huffed and puffed throughout campus. The rain swirled with the wind and I was then forced to go back inside. As I watched as the storm gained momentum and it began lightning and thundering, I suddenly got scared.

This has sort of been a constant occurrence, ever since I saw my first tornado in the summer of 1999 as my family and I were driving downstate Illinois. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. But still, I always get a bit excited when I hear there's a big storm coming; this feeling continues, until I really see the damage of the storm and how strong it really is.

My last month of college relates to all of this. This whole year, I've been a little anxious to graduate and experience this thing they call the 'real world.' I've heard it's not so bad, but then again, I've also had people to stay in college as long as I can. Either way, I've been excited to see what is to come. The beginning of the storm.

Then, the storm finally came. This past week, it really hit me. Hit me with ominous clouds, drenching rains, and thunder that made me just want to crawl in my bed for hours. I'm done with college in less than a month. Almost 3 weeks. What? What do I do? Stay strong and stay excited? Brave the storm? Or grab my umbrella, take cover, and hope the storm never comes?

Unfortunately, a storm never stops. It doesn't just dissipate into thin air. It continues on its way until it hits. I've realized I'm not escaping graduation, nor is the time approaching slowing down. What's a girl to do?

With storms and reality,