August has arrived.  For most teenagers, that means there is less than a month left before school returns.  The past few years I was just like them – finishing all of my summer AP work at the last possible second and dreading the return to high school.

But not this summer.  For once, I’m not dreading school, I’m excited for it.  In less than 24 hours I will be on my way to Alabama, as ready and excited as one can possibly to be to begin my new life as a freshman at the University of Alabama.  This summer has flown by, but it most definitely was not something to forget.

It’s been a fantastic summer.  One full of friends and lots of good times: Lazy days spent reading a good book in the shade or chilling at a friend’s pool.  Nights full of dancing and laughter and craziness, until I could hardly stand.  Long days at work melting in the golf hut, chilling out and scooping ice cream, or sitting in the noisiness of the arcade as small children surround me.  Sunny days spent laying out on the sands of my favorite beaches and jumping in the waves.  Walking and hiking through the trails of the mountains and forests of New Hampshire and hoping to get a view.  Day trips exploring the streets of Boston, my favorite city in the Northeast.  And possibly the most fun of all, screaming in excitement on the best and craziest roller coasters of New England.

However, more than anything, it’s been a summer of goodbyes.  Beginning on my high school graduation day, the kick-off day for my summer, I had to say goodbye to all of the kids who I had grown up with and been through so much with.  And no matter how optimistic I try to be, I knew in my heart that I would never see 90% of these familiar faces again, except of course at any future high school reunions.

I had to say goodbye to all my friends from work, my best friends, and then my newest friend from France, who I miss so much already.  And of course, I get emotional every time I have to say that word.  I’ve said many goodbyes in life, and I’ll have many more to say in my life, I’m sure.  And I never, ever, “get used to” saying goodbye.

And sometimes, all you get with someone is one amazing night, and you don’t even get to say goodbye the next morning as you rush off.  But that’s just how things go sometimes, especially during summer.  When life happens, you just have to run with it and see where it takes you, no matter how the cards end up.

And now, my cards are taking me into a new chapter in my life, bringing me down south to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  As always, I can’t wait to find out what this new chapter has in store for me, and of course any travel possibilities it brings.

But college is going to be a whole new experience in a completely different part of the country, and therefore I’m going to have loads of new things to write about.  So stick around to hear all about it!