This week was all about Hope related things, and it has been great being home. I had been planning on coming home this weekend since I first arrived in Chicago, due to it being the last week of pledge for all of the sororities and fraternities. Both Libby and I took a train back to Holland on Thursday, and I will be staying here with my sorority until Wednesday. It has been so nice to reconnect with all of the girls, as it was something that was very grounding for me and also reminded me of the other life that I will soon be returning to in a few short months. It showed me that I can’t forget about the life I have here on campus, but at the same time it made me realize that I need to take advantage of the time that I have left in Chicago to continue to explore and experience new things.
It just so happens that since we are now at the midpoint of the semester (so crazy I know) that two of my classes are canceled this week, which is what is allowing me to go back to Chicago in the middle of the week rather than the beginning. It is also so convenient to have my internship in a hybrid setting, as I can still get done all of my work but also appreciate being home with my friends and family. In a lot of ways COVID does have more of a negative impact than a positive one, but the flexibility that it has given to my life is something that I do appreciate a lot.
To end this blog I will say that I am very surprised by how quickly I became adjusted to city life. Every time I come back to Holland now I find myself uncomfortable with the amount of silence I am surrounded by, and have realized I should consider the silence a luxury. One aspect that I have definitely not enjoyed about Chicago though is the lack of darkness. No matter the time of day it is always pretty bright there, whereas coming home I was able to go to the beach at 3am and be able to appreciate the darkness and stars. 10/10 recommend checking out the beach late at night!