It's Time to Move On

It's cliche to say that all good things must come to an end. I have a hard time looking back over the past ten months of my adventures and writing them off as simply "coming to an end." And though this will be my final blog post on this blog, this journal celebrating the trials and tribulations of my gap year, I cannot close with a sorrowful tone. Yes, the school year is over (congratulations to all of my friends who graduated last weekend), and yes, I am home from the third planned phase of my year off, but as I've raced around Williamstown the past week or so attempting to prepare for what lies ahead, I've experienced no feelings of letdown. My gap year may be over based on the calendar, but I don't feel as if anything has ended--I only feel more ready to move on to the next chapter.

Back home on Lake Champlain

Today, in a few hours, I will report to 126 Camp Dudley Road. I will walk through the main gates, give big hugs that say "I've missed you," and meander down to Williams Cabin, my home for Summer 2013. We'll all be busy. This stellar crew of leaders and staff gracing the Dudley campus today has ten days to prepare for the start of camp. I know we'll be ready when the campers arrive next Tuesday.

There will be time for reminiscing--time to collect all of our individual stories from the offseason and pool them together in joy of reconvened friendship. But sooner than I care to realize, my tales of adventure from my gap year will have to settle themselves in a small corner of my cabin. They will always be there for when I need them, but for now, they'll have to take a backseat to the new memories we'll create this summer. I do know, however, that I have a better place than a dark corner to keep my stories--I have this blog. 

And that's the cool part. How cool it's been that I got to live in Germany, tuning my soccer skills as I tuned my ears to the rough vernacular of a beautiful people. How cool it's been that I was able to visit Dudley friends at college campuses all over the east coast, rekindling the Dudley spirit far from the campus here on Lake Champlain. How cool it's been that I got to spend sunny spring days outside on the golf course--and get paid to do so! And how cool it's been that I woke up every morning and asked myself, "What do I want to do today?" 

Every day I think back to some segment of my year and remember something new. I've discovered so much for myself that as I look back, remembering forgotten instances is almost like seeing them for the first time. I'm always filled with excitement when I think about my adventures. I just attempted to sum up my year in four sentences, but I'm not concerned whether or not I hit on all of the right points. The coolest thing for me is knowing that in this blog, I have an encyclopedia of memories. Who knows what will come of these stories or what my gap year experiences will lead to, but I know that this year has changed me for the better. 

It's been exactly ten months since I boarded my plane to Germany. Start to finish, this year has been a little bit surreal for me. I was able to set off on my own and find success wherever I went. But I was never really alone. Before I say goodbye, I have to thank everyone who has helped my this year. Thank you to my wonderful hosts, the Jusdons and the Scobles, who in very different ways helped my to grow up. Thank you to my friends, new and old, who opened up their doors for a night so that I could stop and see somewhere new before continuing on my journey. Thank you to my grandparents, Mommom and Babo and Mimi and Papa, for providing so much love and support, and always caring whether I was thousands of miles away or staying with them for a week. And thank you to my family. Thank you for all of the emails, phone calls, bits of advice, and words of wisdom as I set off into the unknown, promising to return safely. Thank you for trusting me, and thank you for knowing that my favorite place will always be at home with the five of us together. I love you all.