I think that in general this might be the toughest summer for college students. At least for me, I am definitely at an impasse. Last year wasn’t even an issue...upcoming freshman are usually too excited for and caught up in the coming year to think about the past. There are a few goodbyes, but it makes the whole summer exciting.
Now, for those of us who are back home, we are surrounded by our past and tormented by our future. This is the first time I am noticing how separated I am from my old high school life. I see old friends still in high school at graduation parties and around town, talking about the things I used to talk about. Things like band and dance and AP classes and Relay for Life and senior years go on without me, and I am deeply disconnected from these groups that used to define me.
And in my separate life back at OSU, it’s time to think about my future and connect to groups there. Right now, this isn’t happening. Maybe I’m just focusing on the positive, but I am yearning to go back to this simple, carefree, fun high school life where I knew what I was working for and where I was going. Being back here for summer reminds me of this everyday.