Many fellow Northeasters can attest that at this time of year, instead of the high 40s and mid 50s that we’ve seen this year, temps are usually solidly the 60s, and if we’re lucky, a few days of 70-degree pure joy and sunshine may be thrown into the mix. This spring, Boston has been blessed with rain, cold, more rain and a sprinkle of snow and hail in case the frosty air wasn’t enough to remind us that spring is still in hiding.
As shocking as it sounds, only a few short weeks remain before the school year wraps up and the summer of 2018 kicks into full swing. This means my sophomore year of college — otherwise known as the first half of my college career — is coming to a close, and now is the time reality starts to fully activate itself. At least that’s what people say.
Since my first day of freshman year at BU, college has morphed into one giant blur of time, and before I could process my surroundings, here I am fast-forwarded to the middle of April of sophomore year, officially almost halfway done with this life chapter. Of course, things could be worse if I were a senior right now (thoughts go out to all of you in this dramatic, confusing, wonderful time of your life) so thankfully, I still have a way to go before the weight of graduation consumes me.
Regardless of the weather, it is indeed spring, and now is the time to reflect on this past year’s accomplishments, failures and everything in between. It’s the time to look back on the people we have met, the things we have learned, the experiences we have gained and the ways in which we have changed both positively and negatively. Look at both how far we have come, and how far we are going.
Thinking back to where I was at this exact moment last year, I was as lost and unsure as could be, and still in awe of how amazingly fast time could race ahead of me. Not much has changed between now and then, as I am still trying to find myself and discover the purpose I serve in this world. Every day is a learning experience that has shaped me to become the growing person I am now.
I view spring as a new beginning, even though that time of year for students is traditionally the fall, because I can’t fight the feeling I have every time the flowers start to bloom and the grass starts to emerge from beneath the blankets of frost — even if the visual image is a little different this season.
It’s this feeling of hopefulness and completion that leaves me in a state of peace, while simultaneously being excited for a summer full of more changes and new experiences. Even though ending sophomore year feels more real than it did freshman year, and definitely more unsettling, I have to remind myself that it doesn’t matter that I am still in the process of finding my place and figuring life out. There is time for that, and there always will be. All I can do now is live in the moment.
Coffee is my lifeline, every morning, afternoon and night—and occasionally in between. Find me café hopping with my nose buried in a book and a cappuccino by my side for good company. I’ll never pass up a chance to explore this adventure-packed city and its unique, bustling yet mellow culture.
