The strangest thing happened this past weekend when I went back to Cleveland (where I’m originally from) – I felt at home. For the first two years of college, every time I went home it just felt like an extension of high school. I didn’t hate it, I just felt restricted and confined compared to my newfound collegiate freedom. Consequently, going home was tolerable but not something I really looked forward to – with the exception of doing laundry and getting free food.

That being said, the recent trip was shaping up to be a similar experience when I found out that there was a high school graduation party Saturday night. I immediately thought back to the summer after my senior year of high school where every single weekend was spent going from party to party. I remember being so sick of grad parties by the end of summer, and I envisioned the same fate for my weekend.

In actuality, it turned out to be a reunion tour for the group of friends that grew up together in my neighborhood, and one of the best weekends in a long time. I spent the night catching up, playing cornhole, and eating and drinking with some old friends. It really doesn’t get any better. Instead of leaving after I had eaten and said the obligatory “congratulations,” we stayed well into the morning hours. For the first time in a while, I really felt at home.

Posted by in_Pursuit at 9:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here in Columbus, the last finals marked the end of the quarter on Thursday. I finished thirty minutes ago.

Last Friday through this Thursday was a blur of studying, coffee, and…well studying – I mean it’s finals week. From Thursday after exams through about seven hours ago, I caught up on sleep and worked. That’s it. Today, I bought some clothes for my summer internship that starts Monday, and cleaned. and cleaned. and cleaned.

Don't get me wrong, I’m a pretty neat and tidy guy most of the time, but when I said that during finals week I only studied, I wasn’t exaggerating. Maybe a couple of things got neglected, like the floor I can’t see in my room. Or every single dish, pan, and glass that transformed into a dirty, leaning monstrosity anchored somewhere in my kitchen sink. Or my bathroom that, well let’s not go there.

Fear not. My hands may be permanently pruned, my back may be permanently bent, but my house is clean. So for me it’s finally summer. And for you, this is the end. I’m off to celebrate, relax, or anything but work.

-- Cheers to Summer

Posted by in_Pursuit at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)