Here’s to a summer that marks the beginning of my journey to becoming an ‘adult.’ Is it exciting? I guess. Is it scary? Undoubtedly so.
This is the first time that I’m living on my own, really. The last few weeks have been a little bit of a wake-up call for me. But I’ve got to say, as nerve-racking as it initially was, I’ve enjoyed it. I also like to think that my hobbies have changed to accommodate this new lifestyle. Most of my time now is spent looking up Food Network recipes (I’ve learned that ‘easy’ does not mean ‘easy.’ I’m a little bitter, if you can’t tell). But it’s been an interesting process learning to cook for myself, being disciplined with my daily scheduling in managing practice, work, a social life, etc.
My first day at work was overwhelming. This summer, I’m geocoding and doing some research. My initial thought was, “What the hell is geocoding? It sounds hard.” My thought process is eloquent, I know. By the end of that first day, my brain felt ready to explode and my body was protesting at the idea of sitting in a chair for hours on end. It’s definitely been something to get used to, even just having a 9-4. But all in all, it’s been really interesting. I like that I’m reading, learning, and just taking in all these new things that I knew nothing about just a few weeks prior.
Now on to the social life, which I’m sure is what most people are concerned about when they hear “Williamsburg” and “summer” in the same sentence – well it’s different. When you tell some people that your summer plans revolve around staying in Williamsburg, the answer is “I’m sorry.” The first time I got this reply, it caught me a little off guard. At the same time, it’s also easy to see why someone would think so. The pace around campus during the summer is very relaxed. Most of the times I’ve walked around campus, the hum of some mowing machines play in the background and really, it’s just me and my thoughts. And the humid weather/torrential downpour. Really, though, I like the relaxed and peaceful summer pace. I think it’s kind of nice seeing campus this way. There’s no doubt that you don’t come across many people. But if I want to see my friends, it’s not hard to just reach out to them—technology lets us do that pretty easily. (Simultaneously, it also allows us to avoid more personal interactions, but that’s a different topic.)
So far, I actually think summers here allow us to spend more quality time with the people that we’re with. For me, as someone who isn’t taking summer classes and is just here for an internship, it’s nice to hang out with friends without deadlines and tests nagging at me in the back of my mind. Accordingly, I have more time to allot to my social life, personal goals, practice time, and especially recipe-searching and Netflix.
As of right now, I’m a fan of summers in Williamsburg. I will check back in with you in a few weeks and let you know how I’m surviving and, hopefully, thriving.
