Summer Reflections

Work is done, school soon approaching, and the final days of my summer break are drawing to a close. The number of emotions I feel right now cover the full spectrum of possible emotion, from happiness to sadness, speculation to resolution, and many more.

With the termination of work, the main emotions I feel are relief and sadness. Sure, five o'clock wakeups get really tough on the body after a while with the last couple of weeks really draining my energy, but there are a lot of people I will most definitely miss. The people were probably the most interesting part of the job, and might have been the only thing keeping me sane after four months of relatively monotonous work. The bunker crew is definitely a group of people I will miss. The random conversation and camaraderie of the bunkers were possibly the best part of work, and they definitely cheered me up when I was feeling down. We were a quirky bunch, but definitely the most fun people on the course (with the exception of a couple of other select few members). The outdoors is another aspect of work that I will definitely miss, that time allowing me to keep fit and healthy and enjoy all that nature had to offer (including the rainstorms). The relief comes from mainly the end of early wakeups, but it also includes relief from just work in general. These last couple days before I fly out to school will be used to relax me, something that is probably necessary.

These final days of summer are the cause of much conflicting emotions in me. They spell my return to university and British Columbia, so definitely herald happiness. However, they also bring in sadness because I will be leaving my family again. Disagreements aside, my family is always there for me and definitely allow me to grow to be as great as I can be.

So my point in all this is mainly what summer represents to me. It represents the beginning of the end. Or the end of the beginning. Either way, it marks the end of my home life and the beginning of my life as an independent person. Additionally, summer shapes me and shows me what exactly I need to do to survive and thrive.

-AFR