It’s been a good year for me. Maybe it’s the relative stability inherent to junior year, maybe it’s the result of my choice to cut out the commitments that weren’t, as Marie Kondo would say, “sparking joy,” but I’ve been doing well. Because I’m so content, I was a little bit surprised to find myself with a growing sense of excitement for summer this year — why would I want things to change if life during the academic semesters has been good? But ever since I signed my lease a month ago, I’ve found myself returning happily to the thought of another summer in Hamilton.
I was a geology research assistant at Colgate University for half a summer, and I remember those days very fondly. Those days consisted of lots of carting rocks from the storage room to the lab, many trips to the farmer’s market and hours spent cooking and eating with my friends. Now, committed to another summer in Hamilton, I have a growing pile of books to read by my bedside table and the phone numbers of everyone I know who will be staying with me. Summertime distills the things that I love most about this school and takes the pressure off. In my opinion, it’s Colgate as it should be.
Most of the academic year at Colgate is plagued by cold weather, and though there are few things more beautiful than waking up to the changing leaves or a snow-covered campus, things seem to glow in the summer months. The weather is more consistent, and the hills around campus come alive with lush shades of green. I remember being harassed by bugs and hardly even noticing because I was just grateful to be warm and wearing shorts.
Colgate is a small school, and I was worried that I would feel lonely when the vast majority of the student body left, but I remember feeling the opposite happen. Everyone who was still on campus was all in the same boat, and everybody I knew began to form unlikely friendships. People that I would never have had classes with, who were in totally different social scenes and that I might have graduated having never crossed paths with, became the only folks that I saw on the daily. I became closer with my professors and even started to recognize the people out at Byrne Dairy. I remember feeling as though many of the typical barriers that I had taken for granted had been lifted.
For me personally, the beauty of the summer is that it forces me to take it easy for a while. During the school year, I typically take on a full load of classes, various creative projects and club responsibilities, all while attempting to maintain a decent sleep schedule and social life. Over the summer, there is just a lot less that you can do. You get to focus on the responsibilities of work and have the chance to go above and beyond. There is time to read books for pleasure, leave town and explore and even just to accomplish nothing, all of which feel like important parts of the college experience that I often don’t have time for during the semester. I think that part of the reason the campus seems so beautiful to me in summertime is because I have time to slow down and enjoy it. It seems to me that our culture encourages me to push myself, all the time, and it is often not until I am forced to take it easy that I remember that I need a break.
I’m hoping that summer brings warmth, rest and friendship for everyone, no matter where you all decide to put your feet down. If you happen to be spending the summer in town, I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do. I would recommend going to the farmer’s market every weekend and trying to find a mode of transport for getting around town that isn’t a car (you can catch me on my longboard). I will personally be reading at least a book a week, signing up for classes at Crush Bottle Shop in an attempt to expand my pretty underdeveloped palate and maybe work on an extra heavily-researched radio show. Whatever you do this summer, I hope you get a change of pace, and I hope the energy carries into next semester for those who return. If you’re going to be in town, I hope you’ll come and say hi!
