Expectations aren't always what they seem

This past month, I have had many expectations.

• I would complete my third year as a college student and be ready to move on.
• Some of my closest friends would graduate from The Ohio State University and leave me. Forever.
• I would come home for a week of randomness and running around with my family since it is one of the busiest times of the year -- planting season.
• I would move out to Milwaukee, Wis. for a seasonal internship with Bader Rutter.
• I would kick start my roles on the Student Advisory Team for Agriculture Future of America (AFA).

However, I did not fully meet these expectations. 

I consider myself a fast-paced, goal-oriented person and halfway through this school year, I was so eager to move forward into my senior year! However, now that realization has hit, this expectation of being ready for "the end" has become overwhelming. 

My sister is also moving forward to her senior year of high school and is just as anxious, yet uncertain as I am!

This expectation has made me realize that I shouldn't be so eager to move forward and should embrace the things in my present life, not just the future.

One thing I find increasingly difficult is saying goodbye to friends and loved ones when they move on to different phases of life.

I discovered that a lot of my friends were a part of the 2013 graduating class at Ohio State. This transition has been difficult to grasp and at times, I had selfish feelings that they were "leaving me". 

Now, I have seen that expectation is not just them leaving, but my friends are moving forward towards exciting opportunities that they are interested in sharing with me along the way! Because of today's technology, I can keep in touch in a plethora of ways. 

Even though I am a senior, it is now my time to embrace that opportunity.

Sometimes, I stress out more about coming home than I do about a final exam for class. I always expect that work on the farm with the family will be a chaotic mess -- half the time, it can be! 

However, this past week at home was more humbling than hectic. I spent a lot of time catching up with old friends and family, and even though planting season is always busy, dad made time to relax in the evenings while I was around.

My family has become increasingly more important to me and the expectation I had that a week at home would be "crazy" was not met.

It is true, I did move out to Wisconsin and am currently preparing for my first week of work with Bader Rutter! 

My internship is focused on public relations and I anticipate to learn a lot this summer! However, my expectations for this new experience are yet to be proven.

It is difficult for me to make expectations for the position until I start into different tasks and projects. I have discovered that if I do not have underlying expectations, I will be able to attain more value from the work I will do.

I will continue to evaluate this concept as the summer progresses.

In addition to my new internship, I will begin my role in a new leadership position for AFA.

On the Student Advisory Team (SAT), I help in promoting this national program for youth in agriculture. Each month, SAT meets to prepare for the Leaders Conference that will be held in November, by working to create and expand industry partnerships, advocating to students on college campuses, and preparing programming for other AFA functions such as AFA ONTAP webinars and leaders institutes. 

My expectations for this role have continued to change as I learn more about what I will do for the industry and program. 

These different "expectations" have allowed me to see that expectations are not always as they seem, and shouldn't be. I am continuing to learn that perhaps expectations are simply a way to process our ideas and seeing the potential we have ahead. Things are not always as we anticipate.