Reflections on the End of Summer

Even though the week has just begun, summer feels like it has finally ended for me. I’ve mentioned before that the last few months have been a roller coaster. I went from travelling to Florida to the heights of Mount Everest (in Vacation Bible School), made some new friends at Cafe Catholica, and went to a baseball game for the first time! My brother came back from studying abroad, we moved him into a new apartment, and now I’m finally settling down, getting off the ride and wondering “What the heck do I do now?”

I had a couple of “false starts” throughout this summer, things I thought would lead to more but were really just temporary. But I learned a lot from the things I experienced. Through watching my friends get married or choosing religious life, I became more resolved in finding my own vocation. Through making new friends and going to new places, I learned about life outside of the internet. I learned how to sing in harmony with a choir and how to write a cover letter.

I learned that I was a person who had a lot of resilience, but still broke down every now and then. The times that I break are just as important as the good times because I gained a lot of strength from it. I learned that when I turn to God, he turns things around and gets me out of the woods and through the storm. I also learned how to deal with disappointments and that you don’t always have to write people off just because you have communication issues with them. If you can still be friends with someone in spite of some misunderstandings, it’s definitely a lot better than hating them.

One thing I noticed this summer was that everyone was kind of undergoing a kind of identity crisis. I wrote an article about the limit of labels for Radiance and Grace Magazine. I feel like I’ve changed in how I see myself as well. It’s still hard for me to adjust to change, but it’s getting easier nowadays. I’m still looking for opportunities to try new things, especially stuff involving young adults and writing. Thankfully, there are some events going on that have to do with both!

I am definitely looking forward to the upcoming fall season. I may not be a student anymore, but I can still learn new things every day. I can spend this time reading new books and honing my craft. I’m probably gonna get ready for Halloween way too early and who knows what will happen in October, my favorite month of the year?

I hope that the next few months will be good. What I know for sure is that God will be with me throughout all of it.