Now that the spring semester is finally underway and in full swing, I feel myself able to reflect on the time I spent away from New York and how quickly the realities of this new season came into view as soon as I returned. It’s hard not to romanticize the taxi ride back into the city. The rainy night view of the glittering skyline. The lights growing brighter as we drove away from JFK and into Manhattan. A breath of life that never left was still fresh in the air, lingering even in this new wintry season.Â
The chill in the air was something that I could not, in any aspect, have prepared myself for. Coming from a milder climate led me to feel its frigidness pierce more than just my skin but burrow straight into the depths of my being. I vividly remember stepping outside my dorm one late morning during the period of time when classes had yet to start, when you’re left back alone in the city, to have the icy wind sting my face so sharply that I instinctively pulled my scarf tighter and reconsidered my route to coffee. Adjusting to the new temperature range was only one of the many things I had to reacquaint myself with.
Since the first day of classes, there has been something uniquely optimistic about the possibility of new ideas and moments unfolding, truly making this semester hopeful in a new light. A weird sense of grief washed over me as I remembered this past semester before winter break and the connections I made with both professors and classmates. This feeling struck me as a sign filled with the importance of the connections we make along the way and that, to accept those good moments, you have to accept their end. And, of course, the people and moments that are left to be unexpected and filled with chance.
This realization reminded me of a quote from The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-ExupĂ©ry: “To become spring means accepting the risk of winter. To become presence means accepting the risk of absence.” Reflecting on this, I recognize that embracing the new semester, along with all the opportunities and uncertainties it brings, requires me to accept the endings and absences that came before and will eventually follow. Just as I find myself waiting for this cold to leave my system, I am reminded that the warmth of spring will inevitably follow if we let the freezing moments pass. Similar to the connections made in new classes, you won’t reach that closeness without getting past the mundane. From friend to stranger, time helps us shape moments into memories.
At the same time, I accepted this change and found a renewed sense of familiarity in returning to the same simple routines I established this past semester. Through this process of adjustment, I became more aware of the importance of embracing both continuity and change, reminding me that growth often arises from our willingness to engage with new experiences while valuing the foundations and principles we have already built. Each return to routine allowed me to recognize the stability and comfort these foundations provide, while the adjustments required by new circumstances challenged me to adapt and develop resilience.
Reflecting on these experiences, I realize that meaningful development occurs when I not only embrace new experiences but also consciously build upon the lessons and values gained from earlier stages of my academic and personal journey, with the ever-present uncertainty failing to affect a moment.
As faces start to look familiar once again, I find the importance of time to create and connect. While it may seem, in a way, like the start of the new semester is similar to playing a game of catch-up since being away from the city, in the end, I have found that it’s become a subtle reminder of exactly what I have to look forward to.