Of Roller Coasters and Recessions

(Although it feels like a roller coaster now, life will calm down.)

Thank God! Because this is what my life looks like right now:

Now add in a sick family member and a thousand miles between us, a "roller coaster" of a social life, and trying to plan for post graduation, and you'll have my life in a nutshell.

It was quite a comfort to get this fortune actually.

Life feels more and more like this roller coaster that at some points you couldn't be happier, you feel completely free and like nothing can hold you back; then you get jolted so hard you're pretty sure you'll be making a stop at the chiropractor soon and you are snapped back to this idea that your life can kind of sucks. And no matter how hard you scream and wave at the stupid teenager who seems to be at the controls (aka your conscience) you just can't seem to make it stop and eventually you learn to just deal and enjoy the ride, ups and downs.

They say that life is about the journey, not the destination, and whoever "they" are, I'm pretty sure it's true. What would be the destination anyway? Dead? Well that doesn't seem as fun. So why not just sit back, strap in, and hold on for, well, dear life.

(You income will increase.)

Not "your", "you." Hmm...

I can only hope so. This fortune has me thinking about that insurance commercial (yup, here comes the advertising nerd) where they have great copy about "will this be remembered as the great economic recession or the economic recession that made us great?" (or something along those lines.) Is the economy finally looking up? And if so, will we go back to our consumer-driven lives of buy buy buy and collect all the meaningless junk that we've managed to purge ourselves from? Has anyone learned any real values from this? Like the value of education and family and not cars and houses?

In 11 months I will be expected to start paying back my student loans whether the economy is looking good or not; whether I'm employed with my dream job or not; whether I like it or not (and no, I am not looking forward to it.) In this economy I've learned about what I really value, but unfortunately, student loans can't be repaid in good relationships and $2 happy hour beers. Looks like the consumer driven mindset wins again.