October is here and I am still processing the summer.
When the seasons change, I get this desire to reflect on the season that just passed. I often think about how the seasons naturally reflect the phases I seem to be going through in my personal life.
This past spring, my spirit was barely beginning to sprout but the summer is when I finally felt free to fully bloom.
I was eager to experience the rush that comes with living in a big city. I went paddle boarding for the first time and has never been the same since. I ended up making meaningful friendships with my roommates who I had originally been hesitant to open up to. I walked the streets of Austin like it was my first time, even though I had walked those same streets many times before.
I went to a concert by myself for the first time. I danced and sang along to the music as if nobody was watching. I even got the artist to sign my vinyl AND I got to keep the setlist!
I also went on a solo trip to Atlanta, which was my first time ever visiting a city outside of Texas, and, let me just say, I truly felt like the main character.
There were many things I experienced alone this summer and for the first time. I felt free, independent, bold, and adventurous — feelings I had forgotten the past 2 years.
Fall is here which means it is harvest season. It is a busy time to gather the resources needed for the seasons that lie ahead. This couldn’t be more true in my personal life. Currently, I feel that I spend most of my days working — on school, growing my finances, and thinking about my life after graduation.
I miss the carefree summer days I spent soaking in the sun and going on unplanned adventures. But all that time for reflection and self-discovery helped me learn the importance of treating each day as a new opportunity to embrace myself. I no longer fear the unknown because it has brought me some of my greatest blessings. These lessons and experiences of adventure, confidence, independence, and freedom from the summer, are the lessons I will harvest this fall and keep with me throughout the seasons to come.