Where did summer go?

Today is September 1st, and I find myself back in class as a second-year MBA student. I feel like I’ve jumped into a time machine. How did this happen so fast? My internship at Pfizer, living in New York – both seem like distant memories now. Good memories, but distant ones.

I know, I know. This is how it always is. Summer goes by too fast and winter lasts too long. Such is life in New England. That doesn’t make the speed any less astonishing.

Life is moving fast as I get older (it’s the same for everyone, I also know). In the past it might have freaked me out that I am going to be 29 in two weeks, but now I am at peace with it. I’m an adult now, regardless of whether I still feel like a kid. I have come to learn and appreciate that the true measure of life is how well you live, not how old you are. As long as I am moving forward and achieving my goals in life, despite my limitations, I am happy. Besides, at least I’m only 29! My body feels 89.

Now that I am officially a second-year, the clock is ticking. I have been thinking a lot about the trajectory of my life, since this is my last year of business school. I have a unique opportunity to press the reset button and set a new course for the rest of my career. Although an exciting opportunity, there is still a lot of pressure. I must choose wisely. From here on out, it will be tough to switch careers. Not impossible, but tough. There are many different types of jobs that I am interested in, both in the for-profit and nonprofit sector. I am also in limbo regarding whether or not I will be receiving a full-time offer from Pfizer, so I have that weighing on me as well. I should find out sometime around my birthday, so hopefully it will be a nice present.

In the meantime, I have new classes to look forward to, which I am excited to take. This year I get to take all electives since I’ve already taken my core requirements. I am mixed in now with part-timers, which adds a new dimension of unfamiliarity. Additionally, the classrooms are laid out differently. Whereas my first-year classes were in an auditorium-style room with stairs, now all my classes are in regular classrooms. This means I no longer am forced to sit in front, with the tradeoff being that the chairs aren’t the easiest to get out of.

Despite all the changes, there is one constant that I am thrilled about – I don’t have to move. September 1st is a holiday in Boston – Allston Christmas. Students are flooding back to the city in droves, inhabiting new apartments all over town, as previous tenants move out. Trash, furniture, and just about everything you can think of can be found on the sidewalks, bedbugs included. It is an interesting time to be in Boston. College students add a vibrancy to this city that makes it an exciting place to be in the fall.

This is an important year – a crucial year for sure. There is a lot at stake, but I am confident that I’ll make the right decision, whatever that decision may be. All I can do is prepare the best I can, and if a curveball is thrown at me, I have the confidence of knowing that I’ve handled it before. It’s already another school year, but I am happy to see my classmates again. I have a lot to learn still before I re-emerge into the real world.

This is going to be a good year.