Tales for Karina Marie: {Guest Blogger} Betsy from Heavens to Betsy

I’m really excited about getting to know this little lady, Betsy from Heavens to Betsy. It’s funny, because even though we haven’t met in “real life,” we have a mutual friend and we both went to the same college. (I didn’t end up graduating from there, but Betsy did!)

ANYWAYS, enjoy!

life after the pomp and circumstance.

First off, thanks so much to Emily for asking me to guest post! She’s a sweetheart, and a new blogging friend, and I just love the story/mission behind her blog.

Secondly, I’m Betsy. I’m a recent college grad who is now in grad school and working somewhere between part and full time. I blog over at Heavens to Betsy. I love photography, crafting, baking, snail mail, and all things vintage, and my blog is a mix of those things, as well as stories along this journey of growing up. I started htb in 2009, when I was halfway through college in Massachusetts, so that my family and friends in Pennsylvania could see what I was up to.

{that’s me and my brother…he just started his undergrad journey}

Emily asked me to write about life after undergrad. I graduated with my B.A. in Psychology last December. Since I’m a list-maker, I thought I’d tell you 5 things I’ve learned & tips I have about life after the cap and gown.

1. Learn to be content with where you are. This one is a toughie, but probably one of the MOST important lessons I’ve learned. When I first moved home, I was homesick for school and my friends (I graduated a semester early, so most of them were still all together in school), but I quickly realized that I was going to miss out on so much here if I sat around moping about not being close to my college friends.

2. Get busy! Maybe it’s just because I like being busy, but some of my best advice would be to get a job, get plugged in, and get busy. I spent the entire month of January sitting on my couch, playing Bakery Story on my iPhone, and watching TLC (trust me, I’m not proud of that). While I needed some time to decompress, I was really grateful to be busy again when I started working in February.

3. Stay in touch! Your college friends have the potential to be your friends for life…but only if you put effort into those relationships. I’m not the greatest at keeping in touch with people, but I have visited MA five times since December and I carve time out in my week that I designate for phone dates. Oh, and I send snail mail. Because who doesn’t love getting a letter?

4. Read a book. I know, I know, you read enough in college (or did you? I don’t think I opened half of my textbooks…but don’t tell my professors). Now is the time where you can read what you want, when you want.

5. It’s OKAY to live with mom & dad. I felt super lame (and still do) when I tell people I live with my parents. But then I remember the fact that I don’t pay rent, and I feel pretty ok about myself again. Sure, it’s not always easy, like the time my mom thought she needed to wake me up every morning for the first few weeks I was working (hey mom, I’ve been doing just fine for the past 4 years, thanks), but it definitely has it’s perks.