At 5:15, my alarm rang, and I opened my eyes to total darkness. Next to me, my roommate was still soundly asleep, but I was determined to remain awake. I was in for a pleasant shock when, in the middle of brushing my teeth, my friends texted me that they had already left for the Lake Michigan shore. Without any delay, I grabbed my hoodie, and dashed into the chilly Evanston air.
Today was the last day of my time at Northwestern, where I spent three weeks with twenty other students learning about the basics of playwriting in a summer program. While most of our classes dealt with editing the ten-minute plays that we submitted before the program, we also read a full-length play, Appropriate (its latest Broadway adaptation won a Tony), and learned how to write a TV script. But apart from all the experience I gained reading theater, I appreciated my time with my fellow playwrights. Whether it’s trekking into Evanston for a nice afternoon, or singing our hearts out to “Hot To Go” on karaoke night, I knew that these moments would be cherished for a long time. When someone proposed a sunrise run in the group chat, I said yes right away. It seemed like a fitting way to say goodbye to our journey together.
When I joined my friends at the rocks near the shore, the sun rays had dyed the sky a light pink. The water was unusually calm, and a few ducks dotted the lake surface. We watched the great red orb gradually make its way higher into the sky, its light making a blurred line across the water. The silence was broken, however, when I began playing “The Circle of Life” at full volume. Was it a prank? Yes. But I like to think it was a good one, given that all of us burst into simultaneous laughter.
The morning became more somber when we had to start saying our goodbyes. Amidst a flurry of farewells and promised reunions, my ride rolled out of the cul-de-sac of our dorm building. I scrolled through my photos from this trip and smiled. Someday, somewhere, we will all meet again.