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Group of 5 people surrouding campfire, three of the people are holding sticks, one man is in a swimsuit
Group of 5 people surrouding campfire, three of the people are holding sticks, one man is in a swimsuit
Photo by Ball Park Brand from Unsplash
SBU | Life

I Want To Be Excited For Summer

Faith Caldwell Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.


It’s the 20th day of March. Exactly 206 days since August 26th, the first day of junior year. The days have swept behind me. I want to live in the now, yet I can’t help but think about how summer is in less than two months. 

Summer is usually the time of the year I look forward to the most. Aside from the obvious reason — the sun consistently shining in Western New York — I’m usually happy to come home for the summer. Home has always been a safe place for me. I live in Grand Island; a small town surrounded by water and separated by two bridges outside of Buffalo. Being surrounded by water calls for many days spent on the lake whether that be tanning, jet skiing, or boat days. It’s not a bad town at all. I look forward to seeing my siblings every day, my parents, and my childhood best friends. 

Recently, I haven’t been looking forward to going home. And I want to be excited for summer, but I’m not. Buffalo hasn’t had the same sparkle to me it once had. I think in part it’s due to everyone growing up and changes being made. I love my family, but its’ become harder to live with them. Friends are slowly moving away, work is getting repetitive, and things are getting old. I don’t want to say I’ve outgrown my small town, but I’m not as happy there anymore. And sometimes being there brings me back to the past where I feel my self growth has been hindered.

There will still always be love for the summer in my hometown, just not the same amount. It doesn’t solely boil down to growing up, it’s leaving behind what I have here at Bonaventure. My experience here has been a learning curve since freshman year. It took me a while to fully appreciate and love this place in full. Now, I’m there. 

I’ve gained more independence. I’ve taken on more responsibilities. I’ve grown as a person. I’ve built my life here and it’s sad having to leave it behind for three months. ESPECIALLY the people. I’m going to miss my teammates, friends, and boyfriend immensely over the summer. But I know they’ll be back for a good senior year. 

One of the hardest parts about leaving this summer in particular is that I’m losing many of my favorite people I’ve grown close to over the years (special shoutout to Delainey, Peyton, and Brielle). Without them, my experience here would not be what it is now. I’m starting to feel the dread and reality of losing them for next year.

I want to be excited for summer; that’s what summer is about. I’m still working towards getting excited and romanticizing this summer. But for now, I’m going to focus on soaking in the last moments of my junior year. And for what its’ worth, it’ll only get harder next year…

Faith Caldwell

SBU '26

Faith Caldwell is a junior at St. Bonaventure University and is from Buffalo, New York. She is a new Her Campus member this year who plans to write about anything from lifestyle to personal stories to pop culture. She has always had a passion for writing and is excited to be a part of the Her Campus team!

Outside of Her Campus, Faith is a psychology major with a minor in public health. She is also a part of the cross country and track team here. Besides being a student-athlete, Faith is a part of the psychology club and the power yoga club here on campus. She is also working on research this semester with some other classmates!

When Faith is not studying or practicing, she enjoys hanging out with her friends and engaging in hobbies she enjoys. Some hobbies include shopping, lifting, long drives, watching reality television, and coffee/food runs. Other interests are sports, nature, media, and comedy. Faith is also spontaneous and always down to explore somewhere.