If I finally get this posted, it means that I’ve had a really good day. I have been meaning to post something, anything, for the past month and a half. Unfortunately on this particular day, I have somehow caught a summer cold and have spent the weekend indoors inhaling essential oils and drinking tea. The cons are that I have a lot going on in the summer, especially this one, and don’t have the time to slow down for a cold. The pros to getting sick today are that I am being forced to sit down and chill out for the first time in weeks.

I went into this summer knowing that a lot was going to happen. With 12 credits of classes, a part-time job, visiting home, having home visit me, and keeping up a summer social life, I just said a prayer and jumped right in. The good thing about this mentality is that it has been the fastest summer of my life, simply because my schedule has been booked out nearly every day.

I don’t regret taking summer classes at all, even though they have consumed by far the most of my time. Trying to play catch up with both of my majors, there were a few required classes that I had to complete before the fall and knowing that this was one of the only options made signing up for them easier. I feel that while the learning is very accelerated, it has kept my brain engaged in schoolwork/career planning.

With my time preoccupied with thoughts of French verb conjugations and the quadratic formula, hanging out with friends is one of the only times that I can pretend that I have at least a little freedom this summer. I had been forgetting how important friendship actually was for the past year or so due to many reasons, but it took this summer and a sudden burst of youth and energy to remember the feeling of laughing until your sides ache while surrounded by friends.  

My friends helped me to recognize a part of me that I hadn’t been using in a while, and I’ve gradually pushed away my naturally introverted personality to make time for the people who matter to me this summer.

I have come to more than one realization this summer, and without elaborating on too many details, the realizations are reflected on a new tattoo on the back of my arm. Butterflies symbolize personal transformation, rebirth and renewal, transitioning through life cycles, and accepting a lighter side of life.

Overall, this is one of the most strenuous, busy, restless summers of my life. And yet, as noted by friends and family recently, my energy is shifting towards a lighter spirit, and this is all I have wanted for nearly all of my teenage experience.  

This summer has been good to me. And with about a month left, I’m not sure what to expect besides even more growth and understanding. I am excited for what’s to come.

Sincerely best,

Madeleine