Hey y’all, happy Tuesday! It feels like a lifetime ago since I wrote a post on here. Or more like I’m living a separate life. So much has changed globally and personally that it’s going to be hard to go back to normal, whenever that is.

I’d like to use this post to say first, of all, I’m not dead. Coronavirus has been making things crazy, but I’m really thankful to be where I am every day. Life might not be what I imagined two months ago or what I’d like it to be, but I know I’m lucky in my current circumstances and I’m very grateful for that.

In the meantime, let me unpack what’s been going on in my life in the past two months. It’s been a lot.

So back when my last blog post when live, I–along with a lot of the United States–was barely beginning to understand that coronavirus was going to change things. I had a busy week full of nutrition tests and assignments before what I assumed would be a normal spring break. That was cute. Only a week or so later, my school moved the rest of the semester online.

I’ve both loved and hated quarantine. I really appreciated having a more flexible schedule and even a little more free time. That’s not something I thought I’d have my senior year! But just like summer boredom, there came a point where the excitement of free time faded. I started to long for what that free time took from me: campus organizations, meetings, time with friends, the casual interactions that come from being around people.

I never said goodbye to a lot of friends and classmates. We all left assuming we’d be back in maybe another week or so. I felt a little robbed because there’s certain things you’re supposed to do as you’re finishing senior year that hat I never got the chance to do. I’m so happy to have the chance to walk for commencement in August and see some people again, but I know a lot of graduates that won’t be there.

Life wasn’t all feelings and long weeks that I couldn’t tell apart. For one thing, I finally got into an internship! It’s actually been a bit since I last wrote about my internship experience, so I’ll probably do an update post about that soon. The good news is that I did get into an internship at Montana State University! I’ll start the internship next summer. In the meantime, I’ll be working on my master’s in Dietetics Systems Leadership. By the time this post goes live, I’ll have just started my second day of that (no time off here!).

Speaking of my master’s degree, I did in fact graduate with my bachelor’s!!! It doesn’t feel real, to be honest. The whole last half of the semester felt like one long week. And it’s crazy to have suddenly ended this huge stage of my life. But it’s also nice to be done. This ending was not at all what I thought it would be. However, it’s helped me appreciate the people and places that were part of my life for the past four years. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

Now that I’m home, I’m working on finding dietetics-related jobs. Although I don’t have many options with just a bachelor’s degree, I believe it’s really what you make of it, especially in times like these! I’m looking for jobs that will help me learn more about the settings I might work in some day, like hospitals and long-term care facilities.

What does your life look like now that school is done? Do you have any summer plans or a job? I can’t wait until things are safe enough to travel. I’ve been fortunate to visit some of the national parks these past few summers and I’m really craving an escape like that right now!

Until next time,
Emmalee