Everything changed

Somebody pinch me! I can’t believe the search is over! It’s strange; for so long, college has been this abstract, intimidating weight, and now, suddenly, reality is setting in as I complete placement exams, schedule classes, and accumulate an impressive mound of closet organizers, electronic necessities, and bedding in the corner of my room.

With college so close, my plan for this summer is to take it slow—well, with the exception of trips to Europe and Panama. I’m going to savor small pleasures, such as reading the books I couldn’t get to during school and hanging out with friends, in addition to gradually allowing myself to get used to the idea of leaving home, starting college and creating a new life from scratch.

Centre was the first college I visited, but somewhere along the way, the allure of big name schools drew my attention elsewhere, until the offer of Centre’s Brown Fellows Scholarship changed everything. The scholarship is a dream come true—in addition to the monetary component, the overseas and leadership opportunities are to die for.

This summer, the Brown Fellows are going to Panama for two weeks, which will give me a chance to work on my nonexistent tan and to practice my Spanish skills—or at least try to ask where the bathroom is!

As if this wasn’t enough, another benefit of this scholarship was a trip to Europe, a surprise from my parents. My mom and I went on a self-made, whirlwind tour of Paris, conquered medieval mountaintop towns with a stick-shift car in the French Riviera, and accidentally scaled the Swiss Alps, complete with cowbells, goats and glaciers, after unintentionally taking a scenic route (a.k.a. a wrong turn).

While we had a blast, it's nice to be in familiar territory again, if just for a while before I head off to Latin America. But for now, it’s back to reading the college “how-to” books, sleeping in, and enjoying my last days of “freedom” before college begins.