Since my last post, I have done two major things. The first was my summer program, in which I had the best time of my life (I know I said that last summer, but I mean it this time). I just can't describe the sense of happiness that I feel whenever I think about the summer and all the good memories and bonds that I created. This may be a future post, we'll see.
The second thing was returning to school as a sophomore. It is safe to say that for the entire month of September, I was living in mis-town. I didn't want to be here and I cried every time I talked to my mom on the phone. It has been a rough month as I dealt with this internal conflict of mine. There were days when I didn't think I was going to last another day here; however, there were also days where I realized that I had to make some changes in my attitude. I never really got around to it, until last Thursday (yup, the last day of the month).
I recently came home from a weekend trip to Washington D.C. with the executive board of our student government. We were there from Thursday to Sunday morning for the National Student Government Summit. I am almost certain that this trip could not have occurred at a better time for me. It was exactly what I needed to get over that homesickness/miserable phase of mine. To get away from school and to bond with a small group of people -- ironic, I know, but I definitely think it worked!
This trip to Washington D.C. was one of the best, if not the best, trips I have ever gone on. I had an unbelievable amount of fun, saw some amazing sights that I will never get to see again -- Oval Office, anyone? -- and grew close with some of the most wonderful people ever. I am still in denial that I won't be back there with the e-board this weekend, or ever, but I will certainly keep the memories close to my heart.
(A real detailed description with pictures of the trip will soon follow this post.)
I am overjoyed with the fact that I am part of such a wonderful executive board. To be an underclassman and hold a prestigious title such as mine is a great privilege, and to hold that title with amazing upperclassmen is an even greater privilege. Although I still have some doubts as to whether I like it here enough to stay for the next two years, I am now more comfortable with the idea of staying to keep our president's legacy going. A few weeks ago, he introduced me to someone as his "protegee" and later told me that he would love for me to run for president my senior year. I consider that in itself such a honor already, because the president is exactly the type of person that I strive to be. One who is dedicated, ambitious, and involved in everything. I don't think there is enough time in the day or enough space in a blog to fully describe this person and how I aspire to become half the person that he is.
It completely breaks my heart to know that our president, vice president, and public relations coordinator will all be graduating in a few months, but I now know that I must cherish every second that I have with them, whether it's our weekly senate meetings on Tuesdays, a quick meal together, or just a simple hug with one of them. I realize that I cannot dwell on being homesick anymore, but rather appreciate the time that I have here at school with the people that I have gotten to know.
To quote Trace Adkins, I know I am going to miss this and I am going to want this back. So I know that I just need to put a smile on my face and believe that everything will soon fall into place for me, because this year is going to go by before I know it and I am never going to get these seconds back.
"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back." -- Harvey MacKay
