If you had asked me on June 20th what I was going to do this summer, I would have said something along the lines of, "Not much, just gonna stay home and relax before uni." What I really didn't expect was this. My summer wasn't made spectacular by a life-changing trip backpacking across Europe, nor was it retreating to a secluded lakefront property with friends or family. It was a combination of the little things that added up as summer dwindles down to its final hours.
What have I done this summer?
To be level with you, I'm not even sure what I've done. It's been a fast-paced summer and my memories are like interlocked fingers - while afternoons spent cooking bootleg Korean food and evenings spent at the local park aren't exactly the same thing, they run the same parallel of good times with good people.
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One of my fondest memories from this summer were those spent at Lynn Canyon. I think this was one of my first outings with a new group of friends, and while I knew some of them quite well, I did not hang out with them often (if at all). Despite this I had an amazing time - it was my first time visiting since I was a wee lad. The weather was near perfect, and the water that we threw ourselves into was nice and cold.
We spent our time throwing rocks, munching on chips, and just living in the moment. It was a pure and unbridled fun, not one with the ever-present construct of time looming over us all. After the sun had fallen a bit and we started getting cold, we made our way to ZETAs and had bubble tea accompanied with sushi from the shop next door. That night I rediscovered the magic of The Settlers of Catan, and I bought a personal copy a few days later.
I can't remember how many hours of fun I've had playing Catan since, which makes me feel better about shelling out $60 on it. My wallet has certainly taken a thorough beating this summer, but I've been postponing my bankruptcy by working weekends.
On a separate topic, it's crazy to think that how some of the people I would hardly talk to in the school year have now become important and close friends. I don't think I ever talked to Stephanie outside of ultimate, and now it's become a regular occurrence for me to join the group going to her house, whether it be for making kimchi fried rice or sushi. She invites us over so much to the point where I feel bad for mooching off her food. Thanks Steph!
Ryan has also become one of my closest friends over the course of this summer. Though he may not see me in the same light, I am thankful for his attitude and what he brings to the group. Sometimes I can't be too sure of what's running through his mind, but that's what makes him interesting.
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This summer I've also done a bit of self-reflection, though nothing to brag about. It sounds a bit overdone and dramatic, but I've been thinking about what type of person I want to be and how people perceive me. For me, the two are incredibly relevant to each other.
When I was younger I wanted to be like my cousins - smart, accomplished, and happy. However my ideals at that time were narrow and not very thoughtful. I wanted to be smart, but I didn't know in what way. Book smart? Street smart?
I still look up to my cousins to this day, and in the same way, but now I realize there's a lot more to a person than their academic ability or their happiness. For that reason I can't say that I have a role model in life - there is nobody I really want to be. You might be saying that the answer is to be my own role model, but I'm struggling with that.
My mind is still a mess when it comes to this vein of thought, but I believe that the best way to attack this kind of problem is to let it figure itself out. Life always finds a way, and I put my trust in that belief.
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Philman finished his program in Montreal and it's great to have a familiar face back in town. Soon after his arrival he drove us up to UBC, and we got up to speed on important things and not-so important things. He's been making a strong effort to hangout often with not only me, but others as well, and I understand exactly where he's coming from. While he says he's a changed man, he doesn't seem all that different to me - which just means he's always been himself when talking to me, am I right? Anyhow, we've been zooming around the streets of Burnaby, so keep an eye out for us!
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Another awesome (but more recent) thing I did this summer was have a Students' Council outing at English Bay. Before heading to the beach we bought some snacks and my coveted platter of sausage, cheese, and crackers. The huge slide was open and a few of us had a go on that, which was pretty fun. After we finished up with things at the bay, we walked over to Ramen Danbo and had a taste of what Danté affectionately dubs "God in a bowl."
I'm glad that we were able to finally organize an event, even though some of us couldn't make it. Through my five years on council we've never had a year where we all go out for dinner, let alone the beach, so I'm happy that we could make it happen. We could've done much more for the school, but you can slap me across my face twenty times and more if we aren't the closest council that Alpha has had in the last half decade.
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Jessica is my go to gal when I'm feeling bored or just plain hungry. She's always willing to go anywhere with me and for that I am forever thankful. It's comforting to have somebody who I can count on for that. We may have spent a fortune on food, but you can't put a price on the good times we have. Thank you.
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I'm positive that I've missed many things about this summer, and it sucks because I would've liked a written account of it. I think I'll also try to take more photos when I go out, not only so that I have a memory to go by, but also to help this blog look a bit more vibrant.
It feels overwhelming to take everything into consideration and try to compress them into words that can hardly capture the emotion of the moment. My writing is awkward and forced, similar to that of a first-grader, so I apologize for that. However it's at times like this, when your mind is like a balloon near popping, that you realize that life is anything but organized. I lost sight of this and my recent posts have been mediocre. Blog for yourself, not for an audience. Audience comes when you have something worth reading about.
There's something remarkable about summer. Maybe it's the sweltering air that enters the body with each breath and flirts with our feelings, exaggerating them tenfold. Perhaps it's the extended respite from school that enables and encourages adventure and fun that cannot be contained. It could be all of these things and more, or maybe none of them.
The words on this page don't come close to capturing my experiences and the memories that I made this summer. Instead, they are to send them off on a bittersweet and fleeting note as the summer melts into the school year, like a parent sending their child to college for the first time. These words are mangled and messy, but all together they are my ode to this summer.
