The Roundup: Spaghetti & Celebrations
Maybe it would be more appropriate for me to say "the first week back to studying." I find myself astounded that I ever studied for 8+ hours at a time (even though graduating was a mere 3 months ago). But not to worry! It turns out that studying for extended periods of time is like riding a bike - you never actually forget, you just get rusty if you haven't done it recently.The summer has been a fun one, but in a way it feels right that I'm back to hitting the books. Almost seems as though I'm right back on campus, gearing up for the Fall semester. It's made me very nostalgic for Autumn and all the wonderful things that come with it - hot tea (not iced), fuzzy blankets, and curling up in bed at the end of long days in a sea of down comforter wearing my favorite flannel pajamas.
This past week, I've spent 6-7 hours every day holed up in the "Quiet Room" at the library. It turns out that when you try to do Physics or Organic Chemistry after not having seen it for a year (or three, in the case of Orgo), it really bites back. I got the hand of it after the initial hours were spent refreshing myself on the basics, but now I feel very much back in "school mode."
When I'm not at the library or, let's be honest, sleeping, I've been trying my hand at some cooking! I made some pasta for my mom and have been eating omelettes for dinner! Also, a fun little soda mix to accompany any meal: Tropicana's citrus smoothie mixed with limonata is fantastic!
A friend of mine recently returned from a whirlwind tour of Asia and her stint in Shanghai brought her to Central Perk - a real life replica of the famous coffeeshop from the show (my favorite show) Friends! She brought me back an adorable keychain!
In other exciting news, I finally got a chance to hang the twinkle lights in my room last night. Although, to be fair, my Friday wasn't all fun-filled. I spent a few hours furiously scrubbing our carpet because I accidentally spilled some red nail polish on it. The trick? Cold water, rubbing alcohol, and hairspray! Came out like a charm (with some elbow grease) and looked good as new.
As for today, it's been a relatively calm one. My friends and I attended our last beginners salsa class (and will hopefully be continuing in September). We then attended a luncheon hosted by our friend's parents. Our friend, Sammy, passed away this February. She was a senior at Virginia Tech and her death was a shock, to say the least. This past Wednesday would've been her 22nd birthday. My friend decided we should have cupcakes in her honor, and so we celebrating the life of Sammy. She was wise, compassionate, and strong. She embodied confidence, self-respect, and loyalty. She taught us so much and continues to teach us every day. We're honored to have been a part of her life, and honored that she was part of ours.
I remember the night before Sam's funeral, my friends and I were up late trying to write a brief eulogy for the service. It's hard to say how much one person has changed your life, as well as the lives of many others. How do you explain all the little things that you laughed about? How do you explain the person honestly - that they had their good moments, as well as bad moments; that they were (as all people are) flawed as much as they were genuine, generous, and caring? That you can't even believe or fathom the idea that the last time you spoke with them was the last time. Someone told me once that the most poignant memories we keep are the ones that we remember the most clearly. They are the ones that change us. The memories come back in bursts, at the most unsuspecting of times. For my dad, it's the smell of chlorine. I had just gotten out of swim practice when my mom picked me up and, without saying a word, drove me home and pointed to the bedroom where the hospice nurse was taking care of him. My hair was still damp and the sweats that I pulled over my swimsuit were soaked through in pool water.
For Sam, it's snow. I remember standing outside of a delivery entrance at the back of an administrative building at school when my friend called me with the news. The snow had just started falling earlier that morning and there was a thin sheet of white across campus. She had called me in the middle of my Statistics class. I felt the lump in the throat grow as I clicked "Decline" and texted her back. "In class, will call ASAP." I walked out of the building aimlessly and ended up next to a bus circle as a massive truck pulled into the firelane I was standing in the middle of. My friend picked up. "What happened, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" She replied simply, "No." After the funeral, someone said, "You girls did a hard thing in that church today. It wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last." I realized then that no one had ever been so brutally honest, and no advice so true. Pain is inescapable in life. Goodbyes are always too soon. So what does this mean for the rest of us? For those of us who are still here? if you care about someone, tell them. Tell them every day - say it and show it. Say it the same ("I love you") or say it differently ("drive safe") or make a grand gesture or do all the little things, because saying goodbye to someone you love doesn't take a day, a week, a month, or a year. It takes a lifetime. And if you can go to sleep every night knowing that you've done it properly, consider yourself one of the lucky ones.
