Those of you that check up on my blog religiously, I apologize for my lack of posting I was just so busy enjoying my final summer at Claflin University for the program Upward Bound. Three summers ago I was complaining about going up on campus and spending 6 weeks of my summer actually doing something and now I'm wishing that I could start all over. The entire experience has been bittersweet, I've met and talked to people I would have never met and became close to without the program. I have gone to places I would have never gone at my age and have as many memories if it weren't for Upward Bound. During the time I have matured, learned and met some of the coolest, funniest, weirdest people ever. I've learned how to survive off of microwaveable pizza and (kosher) hot dogs (from the microwave... I know, don't ask), chips, cookies, bottled water, Gatorade, snack machines taking my hard earned 75 cents, and the occasional energy drink for those 8am to 12pm hour long classes lol. I've also mastered the art of sneaking fries from some of the older kids that could eat a variety of food; oh yes, I turned into a bad gal.
Every summer I have spent up on campus has been triumphant for me when it comes to my talents (talents that none of my friends from school are aware of, well... until now). I've hosted Poetry/Apollo night for 2 years, I've participated in poetry night one year and this year was the most successful for me. I had the opportunity to write, produce and direct a play that my entire drama class stared in. I stressed so much about that play... microphones, costumes, script changes and line cuts, people missing ques, music, etc... I can not tell you how much I complained about walking in the heat and rain, having to wash my hair weekly due to sweat from working so hard... However, after saying my final goodbyes and leaving that campus for the final time on the 19th, I finally realized that I am, indeed, growing up...and very quickly. Just yesterday, I was a freshman in high school with all of these people and now look at us... driving, working, getting scholarships, applying for colleges... it's all surreal. I found my self almost in tears with the rest of my Upward Bound senior class when we all came together for our final summer pictures. And I'm almost in tears now as I type this (which is a big deal because I am not the emotional type)
Hopefully while you look at just a few of these snap shots from my summer, you will become surrounded in the realization that time stops for no one, not even the young people.
Enjoy my loves.
