Today, I realized that I am exactly half way through
college. Not only do I have two more years of study, but my summer just hit the
midway mark. In just under seven weeks, I will be on a plane to Budapest,
Hungary to start my study abroad experience.
Where has the summer gone? I think I have fully recovered
from one of the toughest quarters I have faced at K. I have spent most days
lounging by the pool soaking up the sun and staying cool. I do not have a “normal”
summer job, but I take care of my younger brother. He has autism and is 17. We
both sleep until noon pretty much day. This leaves me with a pretty flexible
schedule.
I have met my friends for the occasional Biggby run, read a
few books, and caught up with a few friends from high school for some Michigan
summer bonfires. Every summer around the Fourth of July, my family convenes in
the Thumb where our family farm is located in the small villages of Port Austin
and Port Hope – each about a mile from Lake Huron. In Port Hope, there is an
annual Fourth of July festival with all the regular fixings: flea market,
antique tractor show, tractor pull, chicken dinners, and a fireworks show. The
festival is put on by Port Hope High School and the proceeds go toward the
class trip for the seniors. In this town of just a few thousand people, you
could never guess what I would find: a Kalamazoo College Zoonique poster!
