My "real" life

A blog post from SOLES Ambassador and MA in Counseling with specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Adriana Del Vecchio:
Often times, during my graduate studies, I joked that that I’m a “fake” adult. I’m living my “fake” life, just eagerly awaiting graduation and the opportunity to finally begin living my “real” life. In many instances this was somewhat true. I left my established life in Virginia to come to USD. I left my friends, I left my family, and I left my partner, while he pursued his own dream in San Francisco. Upon arrival in San Diego, I constantly witnessed those around me who were “living” their life. They were moving forward in their romantic relationships, in a time where stagnation was what plagued mine. They were working, accomplishing goals, and taking incredible adventures. And through some cognitive distortion, everything I was doing appeared to be the opposite. I was merely replicating my role from the previous year. I was a student and continued to be a student, while many of my friends moved forward with their careers. Graduate school became this uncomfortable in between; I was not quite a contributing adult, nor a youthful college student. I felt stuck and unimportant. I often questioned my decisions to attend graduate school at all. One night, over a couple glasses of cabernet, my friend pointed out the absurdity of my thought process. After expressing my vexations, she stared at me, utterly astonished, and said, “what are you talking about?! That’s insane!” After several more admonishments, I began to realize just how right she was.
Half Marathon
And with that, I made the decision to live with intention. To make this my “real” life. To no longer let this joke function as an excuse, or a rationale for timid behavior. I have done more in the past three years then I ever would have imagined. I ran two half-marathons, traveled to Madrid, went winetasting in Napa, and made new lifelong friends. I went paddle boarding, hiking, and rock climbing. I became part of a community. I have had the opportunity to give back to my classmates as a student ambassador and a member of student government. But paramount to these exciting experiences, the past three years here at the University of San Diego, I have embarked a powerful journey of introspection, self-growth, and learning. I developed my passion for social justice. I learned in the classroom what it means to live with gratitude and how to translate that to my everyday. I discovered what my values were and how they impact the way I choose to live my life; to live with purpose, to engage with another human being, to counsel.
This year alone during my internship, I witnessed the pain and sorrow as well as, the joy and resilience of people’s lives. I became privy to the supreme anguish and inspiring strength of the human psyche. I am humbled and thankful everyday for the individuals who share their lives with me. This journey has solidified my passion for my work and my decision to pursue counseling. And as I sit here, a mere 10 weeks until graduation, I recognize how powerful this semester has been. I find myself eager to search for my jobs, to show the field what I am capable of doing, and to recognize the force I can be. I am not beginning to live my “real” life, nor am ending the life I made in San Diego, but rather continuing my journey to San Francisco, gathering friends, experiences, and knowledge along the way.
Napa
Coronado Sunset

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*