This past week, I have been spending some quality time at home before heading back to campus for my junior year. Having been away from home this whole summer, I am really glad I had the opportunity to come back to California and see my family. It has been eight months since I last came home, and even though I have been have some great adventures, there is no place like home.
These last few days of vacation have given me some time to reflect on my summer experiences. Firstly, I had the chance to work at the Women’s Tennis Association. Here, I was able to follow my passion and help campaign for gender equality. I have wanted to work at the WTA for awhile, so I am really glad that I had the opportunity. For the second part of the summer, I was traveling and playing tennis in France. I will always treasure this experience as I learned a lot more about myself, through the process and gained a more global perspective.
There are several things I learned this summer, and the top three are listed below:
1. We are all more alike than we are different.
My travels in France really made me formulate this opinion. Despite our cultural, and language differences, deep down, we are the much more similar than we are different. We may speak different languages, and wear different types of clothing, but we all enjoy the same fundamental things in life.
2. Life is too short to be stuck in an intermediate state.
With the introduction of technology, it is really easy to escape reality. You have the option to deviate from reality by texting a friend, or playing a game on your phone. Having spent so much time away without a phone, and constant access to the internet, I realized how much freedom lay in the ability to remain in the present. There are so many wonderful opportunities right in front of you, and it only takes a closer look to see them.
3. Never make judge a book by its cover.
It is human nature to attach labels and stereotypes to people based off their looks and first impressions. If you take the time to get to know people, they might surprise you. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people this year, and found that a lot of people have very interesting stories.
I hope everyone had a great summer, and I am really excited for the start of the new school year! I can’t believe I am going to start my junior year, but I am really looking forward to the new school year!
Excited for year 3!
