Senior year. Spring break 2015. This was supposed to be it. A high school friend and I planned a road trip to Los Angeles, with a few stops in between, real Thelma and Louise style. Something you just do in college.

After driving 16 hours and 1,176 miles with an overnight stay in Vail, Colorado, we ended up in Zion, Utah. If you’ve never been out west, you’re missing out. Zion was, by far, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. But that night, we got a call that forced us to pack up our bags and head straight home — another 16 hours on the road, all without ever seeing the ocean.

At first, I was upset. This is my last spring break of college; I should be living it up on the beach. And after a semi-p.o.’d text to my dad, he pulled a total Brad Shuck move and made me realize the truth of the situation:

“It’s the journey, not the destination. It’s the companion, not the landmarks.”

This text really forced me to take a step back and think on my perspective.

We all get so caught up in our ideas and plans that we sometimes forget just to enjoy the ride. I was so focused on the beach and how happy that it would make me that I kept forgetting to see the beauty and entertainment in the rest of the journey there.

This applies to more than just my extremely long and butt-numbing road trip. As a senior graduating in May, I’m looking for jobs and probably placing an unnecessary amount of pressure on myself, partly because of my perceived lack of job prospects.

Most of us seniors won’t be getting our dream jobs out of college. That’s a simple fact. Every day won’t be easy and life is going to change drastically. But it’s about the journey and the everyday little things that really matter.

Being happy isn’t about doing everything right and ending up where you’re supposed to. It’s about pulling off at scenic overlooks on the side of the road and crying at the beauty of the mountains. It’s about enjoying your first job because it means there will be a second and a third one, all of which are a part of the journey.

I knew this trip would have a huge influence on me, but I thought it would have been in the form of stories about life in LA and ridiculous sunburns from the beach, not a brad-the-dad-ism.

So to seniors. I remind you this: it’ll all be OK. And to all you underclassmen: start taking advantage of everything you can. Make the journey a memorable one.