After finishing up exams, tons of my friends and I headed down to Corolla, North Carolina for Stud Beach Week. At UVA, we have The Center For Christian Study, which hosts a beach week every year after exams for Christians across different fellowships to come together and spend time together.

This beach week looks a lot different than the typical beach week that many college students go on with their friends. Many times 'beach week' is just drinking all day every day with your friends and doing whatever as if rules don’t exist. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with that, because if that is what makes you happy when hanging out with your friends then please do what makes you happy. I’m saying that a beach week spent like that would not give me any fulfillment or joy.

Stud Beach Week gave me life to the full.

I was surrounded by people who love the Lord and so much more than just partying and drinking. Every night before dinner we had worship and we prayed together to bring us into community together. Every night a different grade prepared the meal and cleaned up as a way for us to serve each other, the same way Jesus calls us to serve. And the best part it was never because we had to do these things, we genuinely looked forward to what songs were we going to sing at worship? What meal was prepared for us that night?

It was a week full of fun and life to the full. We spent our days on the beach relaxing and playing games and just being together. Every day after lunch we had an optional Bible study we could attend, which allowed us to grow more in community with each other. This week brought me so much joy and love with people who I am very close with and people who I am closer to because of it. I could not imagine my summer starting off any better.

Again, we all find joy in different ways and whatever that is for you is what you should go after. This is just my way of sharing something that has brought me joy and hope that other people can find joy in different things.