What no one tells you about graduating college...

My beautiful friend, Colette, and I. 

Colette and I's graduation caps. Thanks for being my exit buddy!

One of my best friends, Dani. She graduated last year and I am thankful that she was there for my graduation as well.

Part of my fantastic church family during my time in college.

One of my favorite professors.

Two beautiful friends of mine, Colette and Abby.

Another one of my friends that graduated last year, Abby.

College graduation is extremely exciting and it is something that you should be proud of. You worked hard and you spent a lot of money. So smile and smile BIG!

However, there are a few things that no one tells you about what happens after graduation. And I am here to share how my first week after graduation has gone.

First of all, I must take the time to explain that I went to college 2 1/2 hours away from my hometown and it was rare that I came home to visit other than scheduled breaks. This may have something to do with what I am going to tell you next. It is also important to note that I moved back home to my hometown.

After graduation, you move everything home like you have for the last three May's, but somehow you know that this time is different. The amount of stuff that you have to try and cram into one bedroom is overwhelming and you will probably feel like you are getting rid of half of your life. You'll throw out a lot and you'll donate a lot. And there will be times where it becomes bittersweet because even though you have absolutely no use for the sea foam green desk lamp, it has been with you for the past four years and it will make you just a little bit sad.

After graduation, you will feel like a stranger in your hometown. You will realize just how much you valued the college town you lived in and remember why you wanted to get away from your hometown to begin with. You won't recognize hardly anyone anymore, and those that you do recognize, you will probably try to avoid because you are NOT the same person that you were four years ago.

After graduation, you are going to miss the town that you have basically lived in for the past four years more than you can explain to anyone. There will probably be bouts of tears when you are sitting in the church that you started in because it is not the church family that you relied on for the past few years. You are going to imagine that you just saw so and so only to sadly be reminded that the person you just saw was not so and so because so and so lives 2 1/2 hours away. You will probably start to feel like an outcast and stranger in your hometown.

After graduation, you will begin to look for any excuse to return back to your college town because you miss the people that you met there. You might even begin to look for ways to move to that community. Because you have realized that all of your supports are now in that college town and you have like two people, besides your family, that actually care about you in your hometown.

After graduation, you are going to realize how hard it is to live with your family again. You will begin to wonder how you all existed under the same roof before you went to college. You love them, but sure as heck do not want to live with them forever. They are great, but you definitely enjoyed your independence and your own space.

After graduation, you will begin the job search process and it will be confusing and a little bit hard. You will have several job interviews and you will get tired of trying to figure out what to wear and what to say. You may even be trying to figure out what position you applied at this agency/ company while you are sitting in your car in their parking lot.

After graduation, you may not have any idea what you want to do and you might begin to question why you spent so much money on a degree when every entry level job requires 3+ years of experience. And the post office is offering positions that pay $16 an hour while the one you qualify for pays $11 an hour.

After graduation, you are probably going to be very confused on what you're supposed to do to set up your loan repayment. And you're going to probably question why college is so expensive. And you will eventually just accept that you are going to be forever poor and you will have so much debt for the majority of your life. All because you wanted that degree. And your family isn't rich.

After graduation, there is going to be an adjustment period and a lot of the time, it is not going to be easy.

But after graduation, you are going to love looking at the diploma and tassel. Because it was so worth it. You accomplished something that takes a lot of time and dedication. You did a thing. You did an amazing thing.