NYC Summer Yet Again!!!!!

Dear reader,

I'm officially back on the internet. After spending a couple of solid months (maybe more) off the web, I'm back and better than ever. While on hiatus, I lived a little. I went outside, saw some stuff, and met some people. I listened to new music, ate new foods, and bought new things with money I did not have. I did all this while roaming the streets of the most fantastic city in the world: NYC.

Let me catch you up if you weren't aware of how utterly awesome I am. I spent three weeks in New York this summer as a part of the Pre-College program at Columbia University. Here, my focus was Journalism, where I took classes taught by active journalists. It was pretty epic.

But I didn't come here to brag. I came here to write to you, to say all that I am grateful for. It's no secret that I am a people person. And let me tell you, the people I met were the absolute best kind. I made friends I don't think I could ever thank anyone enough for. Wholesome people from all different backgrounds. People from opposite places with opposite lifestyles but all one common trait: They all love New York.

I also learned a lot about myself. I became well aquatinted with the term 'free write' and was often encouraged to write down everything going on in my brain. At first, it wasn't easy. I was taking it way too seriously, trying to articulate things in a manufactured poetic way (something I thought would impress my fellow peer.) But I quickly learned that it was more than just trying to sound pretty. My free writing became choppy and sloppy, just the way my brain works. And I loved it. I discovered more about myself in a matter of minutes and words on paper than I have in a really long time.

I don't exactly know what I'm rambling on about. Many people go on trips and return home "a new person." That's not my case at all. If anything, I returned more me than ever. I'm just not afraid to show it.

This summer, I went somewhere where literally anyone can be anything they want. It's a place where it's not only encouraged but outrightly expected. Here, I could be whatever I wanted. I dressed the way I wanted, ate what I wanted, and talked to whoever. Every morning, I walked around the beautiful campus (something I would never usually do), just listening to what I wanted and basking in the contagious glow the city holds.

Now I'm left missing a place I was once terrified to be a part of. I miss my people, those strangers I once considered scary and too different from myself. I can't say I feel empty as I feel fuller than ever. Full of more worldly knowledge and experience, and very very full of love. I'm proud of myself for adapting to a new home. I'm proud of myself for making connections and not being afraid to make memories.

Now it's August. A month I spent an entire blog post ranting about last year. But I'm going into it more optimistic this time. I'm feeling lucky this year. As an official senior, it's my last full August at home. And I'm here to make the most of it.

I don't necessarily know if I'm ready for things to come to an end. I'm very much still holding on to what I know; the people, the places, the everything. But now, I also know that I can adjust to new things, people, and places. I won't say that it's not bittersweet, although that's such a cliche thing to say. Regardless, I'm excited to do all the senior-y stuff with the people I grew up with and have learned to love.

I am very much treating this as a free write if you can't tell. I just have so much to say. Thanks for holding out for this post. I know it's been a while since I've written anything. But I am returning as "a new person," aren't I?

P.S. here's the New York playlist!!!!

It's kind of all over the place, but this is what I was listening to while in the Big Apple, so...

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3gbUElfhNh9cia7vsjVmWI?si=e486aed9a5a94256