Everybody has heard that old, awkward song, "Getting to know you" from the King and I. And if you're like me, the corny chorus brings up memories of the first couple days of school full of lengthy conversations about the details of this year's syllabus and question after question about who you are, what your major is, and what you did this summer.

Although there is absolutely no real work involved on these so called "Sylly Weeks" it always brings up the same problem for me. What did I do this summer? I don't know about you, but I worked practically every day this summer. There was a course of two or three weeks where I had nothing to worry about and could wake up at two in the afternoon after binge watching "Gossip Girl", (finally finishing all six seasons on a whim), but for the most part I was busy.

I generally worked an 8 to 5 shift working with children at the summer camp or doing some other odds and ends jobs for school or running errands for my mom. Sure, I went to a three-day music festival in May, but when the final days of summer approached rapidly, I realized that I didn't do as much with my summer as I had hoped.

I wanted to spend my summer going on adventures and getting ridiculously tan while listening to bad music, not alternating between sleeping for days and wanting to pull my hair out.

So, as I entered my sophomore year of college, going to all these classes and meetings where we go around in circles stating the same old introductions, (name, major, year, etc), I had to come up with a sufficient answer for something fun that I did this summer. And while I could, of course, talk about my week spent waiting eight hours to see Panic! At the Disco front row or obsessing over every little detail of Universal Studio's Harry Potter world, one week in the course of three months doesn't exactly leave a mark when you spend every other day doing nothing.

However, to my utter surprise, when I walked into my 2:00 class that Tuesday, I wasn't greeted with the traditional "what did you do this summer?"

Instead, my teacher asked us to list what we learned this summer.

And this made me think.

What did I learn this summer?

I learned that sometimes, an entire week-long car ride with my little brother is way too much time spent with a fifteen year old. I learned that watching concerts with your toes in the sand is the only way to do concerts. I learned that no matter what I'll have to live by the ocean some day. I learned who Gossip Girl was and that Chuck Bass is probably the sexiest non-existent man ever to not-live.

But most importantly, I learned that everything happens for a reason.

So many times throughout the course of my life, I've set my self up for something. I wanted it so, so extremely bad that when things didn't work out, I was left exhausted and disappointed. But sitting down and thinking about it in class, trying to figure out what I learned this summer, I finally learned that all these things happened for a reason. Because I didn't get that position that I wanted, I ended up learning a lot about myself and what it means to be a leader. Because we're not best friends anymore, I know what it means to be a good friend to someone. All of the people and events that have come in and out of my life have left things for the better.

All the good things and all the bad things, they happened for a reason.

And all it took for me to realize this was one of those cheesy getting to know you games.

So now I ask you, what did you learn this summer?