I remember when I was in elementary school and summer breaks felt like they went on forever. The days took longer and the months felt like years. Now that I’m older, most summers feel like they are breezing by.

This could be due to the fact that my current summer schedule is jam packed. I’m so busy now that the days and weeks have gone by so quickly.

I work full time at my summer internship, and I usually use my weekends to thoroughly enjoy the city.

Even still, the reality is that we are all set to be back on Eastern’s campus in just one month. My summer 2021 is passing me by so quickly, and it’s hard to accept.

This time last year I was stuck at home in the middle of the pandemic with no job and no classes to keep me busy. My experience in the height of the pandemic last summer seemed to take forever and felt never ending. Going back to school was much needed at the time.

Now that I’ve had so many new experiences and been able to be around amazing talented new people I want to stay in this moment for as long as I can to truly get the most out of them.

As we’ve gotten back to normalcy, I’ve noticed how easily we get caught up in life. Especially in the city, people will push themselves to be constantly moving, constantly improving, and constantly experiencing.

All this can be great when you’re trying to live life to the fullest, but it can also be draining if you don’t fully appreciate it at that moment.

It’s for that reason that I wish I had a few more weeks of the summer to really appreciate what I’ve been so lucky to have.

I sometimes wish I could go back to my younger self and tell her to really soak in all the wonderful times I’ve had.

There’s a quote from the TV show, The Office that goes like, “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them.”

I think right now I’m in the good old days and I’m not ready to leave.

Destiny Blanchard is a management major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or dblanchard@eiu.edu.