Siya K.
Photography by Andres Troncoso.
If you’re reading this, remember your feelings are valid even if you don’t understand them yet.
Your feelings are valid, even if you don’t understand them yet.
When I left for college, I didn’t realize I was saying goodbye to more than just home—I was
leaving behind the version of me that existed in the warmth of childhood, where everything felt
simple and safe. I remember standing in my dorm room, watching my parents drive away, feeling
this strange collision of emotions—excitement for what was ahead, but also an aching sadness
for what I’d never get back. I was happy, truly, but in the quiet moments, nostalgia would creep
in like a song I hadn’t heard in years but still somehow knew the words to.
I’ve always lived my life on a timeline, following a carefully mapped-out path, an internal clock
ticking in my mind, making sure everything went exactly as it was supposed to. And for the most
part, it did—until it didn’t. The first time I felt that clock shatter was when I didn’t get into a
class that was part of the plan. It was small, maybe insignificant in the grand scheme of things,
but it threw everything off balance. Suddenly, the certainty I had clung on to for so long was
gone. And in that moment, all I wanted to do was run back—to the safety of my childhood,
where nothing felt out of place, where the only emotions I knew were happiness and excitement,
where life felt boundless and free.
But the truth is, no matter how much I miss it, I can’t go back. And maybe that’s okay. Because
even though growing up means losing pieces of the past, it also means making room for what’s
next. It means learning that uncertainty isn’t always something to fear, that sometimes the best
moments happen when the plan falls apart. I don’t have all the answers, and I don’t always know
what’s coming next. But maybe—just maybe—that’s part of the beauty of it all.
So if you’re reading this and you feel stuck between nostalgia and the unknown, just know that
you’re not alone. It’s okay to miss where you came from while still moving forward. It’s okay to
feel lost, to question things, to grieve the past while embracing the future. Because in the end,
every step—planned or unplanned—leads you exactly where you’re meant to be.
Sincerely,
Siya K., Georgia Tech
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