I’ve been given a lot of incredible opportunities in my
life, and I am very grateful for that. But it’s not like they’ve just been
handed over to me. When I traveled to South Carolina to meet my best friend for
the first time, I had to save up a lot of money for that and put in a lot of
hours at a job I did not enjoy. When I took a spontaneous road trip to Indiana
with my best friend, I was basically broke afterwards. When I drove 14 hours to
Texas for a convention this summer, I scraped the bottom of my piggy bank and
found the money to make it happen.
I firmly believe that life is what you make it. If you sit
around and say that you wish things were different or more exciting, you’re
only making yourself more miserable than you need to be. I remember nearly
everyone in my high school graduating class saying that they couldn’t wait to
get out of Omaha. I didn’t necessarily feel that way, and I think it’s because
I like to seek out new things to do and places to explore. This town may not be
New York City, but it’s far from boring if you can open your eyes a little
wider.
As I’m sure many of you know, I am a bit of a concert goer.
I enjoy going to concerts and traveling to different cities. These events can
cost quite a bit. Will I probably be in a fair amount of debt after college?
Yes. Will I have to live at my parents’ house for a while until I can get a
stable income? Probably. But one thing I can say for sure is that I will never
regret the money I spent on trips and concerts and other adventures. Because
those are the adventures that make a life. Those are the things that keep life
interesting and exciting and worthwhile.
So next time someone criticizes me for spending too much
money on “fun things,” I’ll tell them that I don’t care what they think. I’m
making memories that will become stories that I tell to my kids and grand-kids
and maybe even great grand-kids. I’m doing my best every day to live life to the
fullest. It may not always be cheap, but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun.
