Canoe-dling

Today marks one of the most depressing days of the year: the last day of summer vacation before school starts. Well I'm not starting school tomorrow, but my younger brother is, and I feel his pain. I used to dread this day every year. I'd lie awake at night, trying to hold onto the last minutes of summer. I even used to cry on the last night of Christmas break, because I didn't want to go back to school. But I don't think it was school that I was actually dreading. I secretly liked doing homework and seeing my friends everyday. I hated the end of summer and winter break because it marked the end of freedom. No schedules, no to-do lists. Each day of summer lead by whatever my heart desired. This, of course, was not true. I always had something going on, whether it was sports practice, voice lessons, or summer reading; but I at least felt most like a free spirit during the summer. So on this last day of summer vacation, my brother and I soaked up the last moments of freedom and sunshine by canoeing.

It was the perfect day to canoe. The air was calm, the sun was shining, and the lake was quite peaceful now that all the summer camps have ended. We rowed out to one of the islands where we ate a picnic lunch of peanut butter and jelly (me) and peanut butter and fluff (Michael) sandwiches. After canoeing some more and working up a sweat, we took a dip in the cool, refreshing water.

Between the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and playfully splashing in the water, it was the most quintessential summer afternoon. I felt like I was back in high school, trying to hold onto every last second of summer freedom. As I sat on the rocky beach I said to Michael, "It was eight years ago that I started high school". Eight years??!! That sounds like such a long time when you say it out loud.

I still remember my first day of high school clear as day. I remember what I wore and what I ate for lunch. And I remember feeling so completely lost in what seemed like a massive school.

It's funny how your perspective of space and time changes over the years. Compared to NYU and BC, my high school is just a little fish bowl. During my senior year of high school, I could not wait to get out my town and move to the big city. Time could not move fast enough. Now I look back and can't believe I was in college for four years. Or how the quizzes and tests in high school seemed to be the determining factor for the rest of my future. And by now I've completely forgotten what these tests were about and probably anything I learned for them.

But no matter what our age or perspective, where we come from, or where we're going, the feeling of summer freedom is ageless and timeless. With all our preoccupations, anxieties, and busy schedules, we could all benefit from taking an afternoon to dig our toes into the sand, soak up the sun, and hold onto summer like we're in high school.