The Last “Real” Summer

Well, that flew by. After a sometimes crazy, sometimes boring, and sometimes simply relaxing and enjoyable summer, I leave for Baltimore on Tuesday and head to JVC Orientation next Thursday.

This summer will go down in the books as one of the best. I drove across the country – in a Budget Truck – and saw St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, Bourbon Street, the Alamo, the Grand Canyon at sunrise, Sin City, and the Golden Gate Bridge (plus Twitter HQ!); feasted on Memphis BBQ ribs, authentic jambalaya, and In-N-Out (plus countless other fast-foods); visited a million gas stations; and drove across the entire state of Texas. I got to visit friends in central New Jersey, Cape May, New York City, Northeast Pennsylvania, and Boston and relive some college memories. Best of all, though, I was able to spend a great deal of time with my family golfing, eating, and laughing. It was probably the last time that we would all be together for a summer. It feels like just yesterday that we were going to the Holden Town Pool for swim lessons and summer camp. In that sense, this was my last “real” summer. One last summer where we could all enjoy the weather, lax business hours, good food, and simply being together.

Now, it’s time to start a new chapter in my life. In the next two weeks, I’m going to move to a new city, meet my roommates for the next year, learn what it is to be a Jesuit Volunteer, and prepare for my job as a writing instructor and teaching assistant. New people, new work, and new challenges.  It’s scary, nerve-wracking, a little bit sad and a little bit happy, but mostly it’s a truly exciting time.

This weekend I’ll golf with my Dad, see some friends, and go to the beach with my family for one last day in the sun, ending my last “real” summer. I can’t wait to get started with JVC and Cristo Rey in Baltimore and subsequently enter the working world but, boy, am I going to miss my “real” summers.

Countdown to JVC Orientation: 5 days. The next time I post, I’ll be in Baltimore!