(Picture taken back in May on top of Mount Batur – Bali, Indonesia)

Without even really realising it, three years have come and gone in a blink of an eye.

Today (disclaimer: this post was written a few months ago), I bumped into someone who used to be a massive part of my life. Someone whose presence would fill up the room – not because they were loud in any way, but because they had captivated my attention entirely. Today, they were someone who I couldn’t even look in the eye.

Sound familiar?

Whether this is a friend, significant other, family members or whatever else they may be to you, I’m sure we’ve all experienced something similar before. I’m here to tell you that you’re going to have many more of these experiences throughout your time at university.

Even though this person made me feel an inexplicable sort of sadness, I’m still grateful to them for all the happy memories, and in a strange way, for allowing me to experience this new feeling… is this melancholy?

More importantly, I’m thankful to them for allowing me to appreciate the loved ones I have around me. Beginnings and endings come and go. Everything is destined to end. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t appreciate everyone who has chosen to stick around. So, grab your loved ones and give them a hug. Or in Gen Z terms, pick up your phone and slide into their DMs, tell them how much you appreciate them or better yet, make some plans for lunch.

Throughout this post, I’ve talked about beginnings and endings in the context of happy memories and people that we cherish in our lives. For those of you going through some rough times, know that these too will come to an end and that things will get better with time.

Taken on my last day in Singapore 🙁

Beginnings and endings can equally be applied to experiences too. It’s been around 6 months since I came back from exchange, and I still think about the amazing people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had, nearly every single day. For you, it could be backpacking through Europe, attending the concert of your favourite artist, welcoming a new family member (including pets!) home for the first time etc. As much as people complain on UoA Confessions, I would also say your time at UoA will someday come to an end too, so enjoy it while it lasts!

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” – Dr Seuss.

Cecilia