"only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love"

So it's that time of year. Friends are leaving for college and I have to stay behind and watch them leave...actually leave. A year ago, the idea of this mass exodus seemed so surreal, so intangible, and was grossly underestimated; but now - as the event actually unfolds - it's hitting me that things are going to change drastically, and they will never be the same. This doesn't have to be a negative assertion, but it definitely affirms the changes that will transpire.

My mom and I occasionally reminisce about dropping Caitlin off at college, and the way in which reality struck us. I was going into fourth grade when we moved her into BC, and I was - naturally - quite naive about the whole situation and how it would change our lives at home. When we finally said those sappy goodbyes, we started driving away and, out of nowhere, it finally hit me...I was all alone now. I jumped out of the car and ran to Caitlin, and gave her what I would assume to her was an obnoxious lung-squeezing hug. After that Kodak moment, when we drove away (for real this time) I said to my mom, "Caitlin's never going to live with us at home again, is she?" My blunt statement made us realize the gravity of the changes that were to come, but...we knew Caitlin was really happy, so it made the distance pretty bearable.

So with that optimistic mentality, I'm able to be happy for my friends going off to school, because they're about to have the best four years of their life. Life is so much simpler and more enjoyable when you celebrate others' happiness instead of wallowing in introversion.

Still, goodbyes are never easy, even if you try to prepare yourself for them. I've had my fair share of goodbyes already in my life thus far; some of them will take/have taken several months to sink in, and the hardest few drastically changed my life forever, but not necessarily in all negative ways.You learn to acclimate, because, well, life goes on. It has to. Optimist that I am, my philosophy is this:

Sometimes it takes being separated from someone to show you just how much your heart can love. And it's a wonderful feeling knowing you have someone in your life you're able to miss that much.

MGSI...Where To Begin?

MGSI...what an experience.  I can say with utmost confidence that this program was life-changing for me in more than a few ways.  I learned an incredible amount about myself, others, and the world around us.  That sounds vague and general, right?  It's also broad, which conveys the unlimited extent of knowledge I accumulated in my three weeks at Appalachian State University.

Martha Guy Summer Institute is a program established for high school seniors interested in developing their passion for business.  Participants spend two weeks on campus at App learning multiple facets of business, meeting peers with similar interests and mindsets, meeting App alumni who have succeeded immensely in the business arena, and experiencing the overall thrill of life at Appalachian.  The last week of the program is spent in Washington, DC and New York City visiting prominent places such as the US Capitol, memorials around DC, the Stock Exchange, and more.

If i were to fill this post with even half the experiences this program entails, your eyes would be drooping from the overwhelming breadth of it all and you might be discouraged to ever read my blog again.  Additionally, I doubt I could even fit all of those joyous experiences into one single post.  However, I don't want you out of the loop, so please ask me to share my MGSI scrapbook/journal with you that I will be making within the next few weeks!  I will be more than eager to share with you everything that meant so much to me.

As I told my MGSI family on our last night together, I came to the program expecting an escape from the difficulties going on at home, a summer institute where I would be in a classroom most of the time memorizing heaps of information and being as routinely dull as possible.  Well, I had absolutely no idea what I was in for.  The days were filled to the brim with unexpected joy around every corner, and gleeful anticipation of what was to happen next.  I met so many people with whom I hope to sustain meaningful relationships for a long time to come.  I left with a confident mindset of the potential I have yet to unfurl, and the skills I can utilize to succeed not only in the corporate world, but in the people's world, a world needing leaders who will seek to improve it for the benefit of all mankind.

Summer Happenin's

So, I decided to pick up blogging again (back by popular demand; my posts must be mildly entertaining?) so anyone who is interested can keep up with the happenings in my life.

This post will give a rough description of a culmination of events that have happened this summer. 

I started off the summer nannying for my former math tutor's newborn, Adelaide, who is almost as cute as I was when I was a babe...almost.  And who knew that the greatest solace I have found in a blaze of my trivial worries would come from conversations with this baby whilst walking her in a stroller?  I didn't, but that was the case, so I definitely plan on continuing this job during the upcoming year.  

About the third week of June, I volunteered for Camp Soar, which is a Special Olympics-affiliated camp providing a full day of fun sports and activities for mentally-handicapped campers of all ages!  A ton of people from Charlotte Catholic volunteered too, so it was a good time for sure.  

After Camp Soar, the G-Unit took a trip up north.  Starting our travels in Virginia, we toured UVA and I loved the campus.  Not so sure I felt a ton of chemistry with the university as a whole, but I'll probably end up applying there anyway to see how the cookie crumbles.  From Charlottesville we worked our way up to DC to tour George Washington University, which I had been ecstatic about for months.  I definitely clicked with the atmosphere there, and the university offers me everything on my "list" and more, but in retrospect I'm thinking that a city environment should be reserved for the post-college stage of my life.  I'm definitely anticipating a real, traditional campus experience next fall.  After that, we went to our homeland of New Jersey and mingled with some other great Gills.  We managed to steer clear of those ferocious housewives you see on TV these days, though.  From NJ we reached our final destination in Baltimore for my grandma's 90th birthday party.  What a rager that was.  There was a ton of fun to be had and thus lots of family bonding ensued.  And of course it was all followed up by the traditional Ash Bash cigar competition, and I managed to haggle a puff and contribute to Dad's near-victory.

We came home to the Queen City just in time for my birthday, and then I had about one week of summer to live it up before Martha Guy Summer Institute at Appalachian.  I planned on hanging with the homies all I could before I left, and I managed to do so.  I was actually pleasantly surprised when I went to Tess' house one day only to be thrown a mini surprise-party, contrary to my strong, anti-celebration wishes.  However, it was great to spend time with a few really close friends and to be reminded of how important we are to each other.

The next event is MGSI, but writing about it here will make this post appear excessively long, so I'll write about it in a follow-up post to ease your psyche.