I have always had a special connection to the summertime. I would say most people love the summer time because it's a bright, fun season. But for me, the summer always represents freedom, life and happiness. There's no better feeling than waking up to sunshine and a bright beautiful sky. I have only had three summers so far as an actual adult. The first was in 2014, and it was disastrous in many ways. But I have chosen to no longer focus on that time. The summer of 2015 was a gorgeous dream and was everything I ever wanted from summertime. I can't even truly describe what joy and bliss I experienced from May to August that year.
But the most recent summer, the summer of 2016, was not what I expected in so many ways.
I had hoped it be an enhanced version of summer 2015. It honestly wasn't. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The summer of 2016 was the first summer in which I had my first full time job, five days a week and longer hours than I had ever done. But I loved it, because it was one of the best experiences of my life. I also was able to get closer to my best friend, the "Max to my Caroline" (2 Broke Girls reference). We spent so many amazing moments together! I had some great moments with my friends who I met at college, and it was the first summer I was very close with my college friends.
I was unsure how the summer would go because the summer of 2015 was amazing and I felt like Summer 2016 wouldn't be able to live up to the standards my previous summer had set. It definitely was not the same in any way, but it was still great. The summer of 2016 was excellent in it's own way. I learned the value of hard work and I also learned not to go into anything with good or bad expectations. I learned to be happy in what I was doing. I learned I didn't need to chase after anyone or any moment.
The summer of 2016 was also the time I was able to join and be a part of Odyssey, which I love dearly and is a huge part of my life. As cliché as it sounds, I learned not judge a book by it's cover. I went into this summer with an open mind and as a result, I had a great time. I learned that you never know what you're going to experience or what is going to happen, but as long as you have an open mind and remain positive, things work out.