I was a quitter. Starting projects was my forte. An idea would strike, and instantly my hands graced home row or the pen etched paper. I would become so engrossed in my imagination that the only break was a quick coffee refill to keep the juices flowing. The story rolled off the tongue like a Spanish “r” and kept going … until it didn’t anymore. At a certain point, a break was necessary. A little socialization and my masterpiece became a lost file in an obscurely titled folder somewhere on my hard drive. I am a quitter.

However, this is a year of change for me. Like most of the world, when the new year rolls around, unlikely resolutions come to fruition. This year, I’m going to get a gym membership. This year, I’m going to procrastinate less. This year, I’m going to do all the things I said I’d do last year but never got around to doing. Well this year, for the first time ever, instead of saying I was going to do something, I did something. I became an active member in my own story. I signed up for a gym membership and started working out all the muscles I didn’t even know I had. (Who knew you could somehow manage to feel sore to the point of limping while also refreshed to the point of skipping to your car?) I organize my life to the point where there are lists everywhere. I plan every move of my day and cross it off when the task has been completed. Therefore, procrastination is the least of my worries. As for the last resolution, it’s still in the works; it’s in the beginning stages of becoming a reality, and that reality begins with this.

This right here, the words that mark the surface, are my story. This is for all the times I’ve been told that this won’t work or that it’s not the right time. This is for all the negativity in my life: school, work, people in general. This is the proof that I can start a journey that hopefully touches the hearts of others facing the same struggles I do. Even though I don’t owe anyone an explanation, I guess I owe it to myself to stand on my own two feet and tell you the truth about coffee. The message: write your own story. Don’t let anyone tell you “no.” Take those “no’s” and say “yes.” Dive right into the world of writing, where thoughts run wild and stories take you to places you never thought possible. Sit back, relax, grab your steaming mug of coffee, and prepare for an insight into the real life of a college student.