After departing from the Circle in early June, I returned to my home in Long Island a bit unsure of what I would do for the next few months.
While I had penciled in a few hours to complete my summer reading of The Secret History, the required book that I now consider one of my all-time favorites, I knew I had to fill the rest of my days with a summer job. Lacking experience and wielding a large smile and an eager spirit, I explored a myriad of employment opportunities in various restaurants until I found a welcoming community at the Indonesian pop-up restaurant Wayan & Ma•de Out East. For the next two months, I spent five nights a week hosting, bussing tables, and running plates of Nasi Goreng and Avocado Gado Gado to excited guests. Even though I always presented a happy and relaxed face to guests, various challenges filled my evenings and gave me valuable experience. From rapidly rearranging tables on Resy to squeeze in an extra party or trying to placate an annoyed guest whose table hadn’t been set yet, my problem solving and personal skills, cultivated at Groton, helped me navigate these problems.
However, just like the school year, I always found time for leisure and relaxation. I was a familiar face on the beach and regularly displayed my spikeball skills that I had developed on the Circle in the spring. I filled my afternoons with swimming, beach soccer, and many smiles on sunburned faces. While I only saw a few familiar Groton faces over the summer, I was always eager to stay in-touch, frequently calling and texting with my friends.
While the summer months have provided both a respite from a strenuous academic year and useful professional experience, I am ready to return to Massachusetts in the fall. With new classes, dorms, and teammates, I’m sure the upcoming year will yield plenty of excitement and reward.