After taking a nine-month break, I can hardly remember how to “school” anymore. It has been an eventful break, full of goodbyes, parties and new experiences.
The unlimited amount of time provided by the break has allowed me to do pretty much anything. From the sleepless night outs, volunteering work to part-time experience work, these have helped me grow more as a person. Here are what I’ve learnt after my extended summer break:
1.
Goodbyes are bound to happen, but there will also be hellos. The first month of my break was an
emotional roller coaster. IB Exam, graduation, grad trip, goodbye parties all packed into 3 weeks.
Can’t say I will miss the IB, but for sure my high school experience. To quote my friend’s speech
during graduation: “We will leave our cocoon, being our parents and high school, and thrive to become a
butterfly.” It was true, I was saying goodbye to my “cocoon”, and saying hello to the unknown.
2.
Consecutive night outs are great, as long as you are ready for the aftermath. After being a hermit for 2 years, I finally had a social life! I had my first- although not so great- night out experience. My second month felt like The Great Gatsby’s party montage. Then came the end of the month. Broke, tired and smelling like cigarettes were what’s left of me.
3.
Goodbyes are ok 🙁 It was August which meant school was starting for most of my friends. There
were a lot of tears indeed. One goodbye after another, there was only one musketeer left, me. Then again, they also had to leave their ‘cocoons’, just a bit earlier.
4.
Boredom will hit you. After weeks of binging on Netflix, I ran out of shows to watch. My hermit mode was back on, with some new variations. My tummy was bloated from all the popcorn. My head was jam-packed with movie quotes. I decided then that it was time for me to do something other than just locking myself in my bedroom.
5.
A part time job will open you up for anything. After a continuous cycle of signing up, interviewing, and failing to get the job, I finally got myself a part time job as a waitress at a coffee shop. Dealing with difficult customers, I have to say, is an experience to say the least.
6.
Travel! Going to the beach during the weekend is one of my favorite activities. I got some serious vitamin Sea! Also some sun- tanning, but in my case, turning into burnt potato.
7.
Doing things alone is great. After a while of waiting around for my friends to come back, I decided to be proactive. People watching at coffee shops is one of my many favorite activities. (I’m not a stalker I swear!!!)
8.
Family, family, family! Even when I was with them, my family was already tearing up thinking about the fact that I was going to leave. Spending more time with my family helped me. I feel homesick but being away in a foreign country helps me understand the value of what ‘ohana’ really is.
9.
Stepping into the unknown is part of growing up, you’re going to fall and fail. But don’t be afraid to. Because from falling, you’ll stand up as a bigger and better person from your mistakes.
10.
The transformation of a butterfly istedious. Like us, they need tender, love and care. From our cocoon, our experiences will shape us into our very own beautiful butterfly.
