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The Last Few Days of Summer Break

Less than two months until fall begins and three weeks before the start of school. I am bracing for the cold but excited that summer is finally coming to an end. Summer is def not my fav season.

Summer has always made me feel as though I have enough time on my hand, though it’s very much the other way around. Or I need to be doing something else, when all I really need is time to rest. So enough with that feeling of wanting more of nothing.

I am ready to get back to school. I have registered for my Fall classes and I am looking forward to another semester of hard work and positive drive.

While it can be tough figuring out schedules… so far, so good. This semester does have it’s challenges though, most of my classes are day classes so that requires some drastic changes to my daily routine.

Come the fall I will also start my college transfer applications and come the spring of the following year, I am hoping to start planning for graduation. This is probably what I get most excited about – knowing that I am getting closer to my degree. The feeling of getting there is ineffable.

Also, I am slowly breaking into the college life; getting more active in the college community, planning events and developing projects, which are positive motivators. So far we have plans for an ambassador project in our honor society to help freshmen students get through their first year. Of course, it would have been tremendous to have someone who I could ask questions when I started out at Norwalk Community College. Like, how do I know that chose the right classes, or how do I make sure I get the right grade or what classes should I take to meet my degree requirements? Counselors are great but a personal friend is better and so we are hoping to provide that privilege to someone who needs the extra help out of office hours.

I feel motivated that once we start a good project we can move on to creating other projects and setting the platform for others to have an even greater impact in the college community.

Outside of school, I see myself getting my driver’s license and making the necessary steps to getting my asylum. It’s a lot to think about when you don’t have these things and it’s hardly an escape when I have to ponder on how much my immigration status will affect my college transfer process. These are unavoidable obstacles and it really matters that I am in the right frame of mind and prepared to deal with the rust of everyday life.

I was thinking the other day about just letting it go. Setting myself free. Just closing my eyes and let things happen for a second. Allow myself to breathe the fresh air of opportunity that I have been gifted. Because to be alive and well is a gift and I have to be grateful and learn to celebrate it. Regardless, of how arduous the process of getting to a better place may be, the small steps count and being able to take those steps must be appreciated.

So seeing how much my life has changed, though slowly and sometimes worrisome, I have really seen myself grow. And through reflection and self thought I have learnt to acknowledge how much I have achieved. Things that can easily be taken for granted.

So as I exhale the final days of summer and prepare to inhale the beginning of Fall, I am using the last few days of summer to appreciate the time I have. Get some rest. Make a ‘some more’ s’mores. And keep smiling.