Walking amongst the hustle and bustle of the city scene, one cannot help but embrace the atmosphere of quickness…heavy footsteps, honking horns, the speeding by of the subway. In the city it seems as if everyone always has somewhere to be, busy schedules and booked hours sweeping them away from skyscraper to skyscraper. When I was about to come to college, I so craved the speed of a fast-paced life, getting swept away in events and meetings as a woman who was successful and had a full calendar. For so long in the age of hustle culture and the “boss babe” mentality, it was easy to imagine that was how success should look. However, now as a soon to be senior, the idea of having to work for the rest of my life has become more and more daunting as the summer days slip by.
How does one come to balance work and life? Loving your job but not being so caught up in it that life seems to speed by you. While it is easy to romanticize the “Devil Wears Prada” and running around as an assistant to fetch Hermes scarves, the reality is a little scarier. Why does it feel that we as a generation are dreading work? In the age of TikTok and Instagram, the hard workers are influencers who make their hours and get to attend brand trips to tropical destinations like Bora Bora. For the average person that is a little harder to achieve. I have many aspirations in my life and feel that my success does not have to be measured by a job title or the amount of money in my salary, but rent is still rent and the idea of being an adult paying bills makes my anxiety spike.
In all honesty, it's scary! I feel like it isn't something that is talked about enough, that it is okay to be scared, and anxious, and unsure. Listening to alumni throughout the week at agencies showed me that it is not only normal to feel that way, but that it is okay. They talked about the times they moved into their first apartments, whether they were tiny or had a few too many encounters with rats, but it was inspiring. To hear that transitioning is hard, but it is a growing pain that only makes you stand taller. So while the future is scary, and I am still trying to find my footing in the world, I know that I will be okay. So as life moves slowly I know there will also be times that it speeds by. The difficulties and craziness of life simply make for the best stories in the end!
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