My Unconventional Summer

This first week has been all about getting used to being back at school and catching up with friends!  Still in senior year, we begin with introductions in class.  Name.  Year.  Major.  Summer activities.  In one of my major classes, the majority of people talked about their internships, while I talked about my summer adventure.  This article is about my summer and how I came to terms with my life decisions. 

To understand my story, we have to go back to last school year.  Imagine a junior trying to decide what summer will hold.  Summer is exciting but also nerve wracking thinking of what you need to accomplish.  I am majoring in Spanish and Communication Studies, and have no idea what my future career holds. 

Over fall break I spent the week at my best friend’s house, just relaxing.  My mom sent me a book written by my favorite author and finally at fall break I had the time to read it.  Jodi Picoult’s Leaving Time.  The book tells a story of a mother-daughter relationship and elephants.  When I finished, I felt a need to volunteer at an elephant sanctuary. 

During Christmas break, I made it my mission to decide what my summer plans were going to hold.  I had this idea, I had to seize an internship because I was going into my senior year of college and that is what you are supposed to do.  The little voice in my head said, you need to get an internship to be qualified to get a “real job” after graduation.  Like everyone, I spent a lot of my time at home with family.  I told my aunt about my struggle with my impending summer plans.  I ‘knew’, I needed an internship but I had no idea where to start but I still had the desire to go to an elephant sanctuary.  My aunt gave me some good advice. “Do what you want to do, because missing opportunities that make you happy are going to turn into regrets.  This is the time to do anything and everything.”  At that moment, I decided not to search for an internship in hopes of discovering my future career.  Instead, I decided to go and work at an elephant sanctuary.  

The school year ended, which is always a relief but also sad leaving all the amazing smicks.  I got back home, and took my same old summer job.  Swim coach.  Even though I didn’t have an internship, I still needed a job.  For me, this was the perfect fit for my summer.  I was given the job because I was a returner (so I didn’t have to search), taking time off was super easy, and the season finishes at the end of July.  I might have not learned anything about myself or about life this summer.  But, throughout this job I have learned how to handle and teach children, how to handle parents and how to work together with the staff.  Even though it is not a job you brag about, this job has been good to me and I do not regret spending the summer before my senior year working there. 

Ps.  I got my class ring at the beginning of the summer.  So, of course I had to take ring pictures!

Photo: Dolphin Pool, Lake Forest California

In July my family went on a cruise to Alaska.  And by my family I mean my mom’s side of the family and family friends.  There were a lot of us.  If I had an internship, I don’t know if I could have taken a week off in July to go on a cruise.  This could be my last summer enjoying my own schedule.  And I wanted to spend it cruising with my family.  The trip was amazing.  This is where I took my first ring picture (which I am obsessed with).  I am glad I had the opportunity to spend a week with my family before I graduate and move to who knows where.

Photo: Mendenhall Glacier Park

After the cruise I was home for 10 days before my big adventure of the summer.  I finished the swim season, relaxed, hung out with friends, and packed. 

My big adventure was flying to Thailand with my partner in crime and volunteering at an elephant sanctuary for two weeks.  I can’t even describe how amazing the experience was.  We lived in rural Thailand with a host family.  Let’s just say it was an adjustment.  Cold showers!  Luckily our house had a shower head.  Squat toilets. And lots of bugs.  I don’t want to bore you with all the details so I will just tell you my favorite parts.  (I could type up my journal which is 40 pages).  Every day we got to feed and bathe the elephants.  Every day we got to be next to these elephants and just be mesmerized by how amazing, intelligent and huge these magnificent animals are.  The elephants were the best, but a close second were all the interesting people I met.  Everyone was from different walks of life; all with different stories. 

Photo: Bees and Burms Elephant Sanctuary, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

I didn’t write this article because I think I am amazing and want everyone to know what I did this summer.  I wrote this article because I want it to be known; there isn’t one way you are supposed to spend your summer.  I spent mine with people and elephants.  No one can tell me my summer was not as educational or as experiential as anyone else’s.  I got work experience, volunteer experience, travel experience, and networked with people from around the world.  It may not be the conventional way but it is my way, my path.  However your summer turns out or your year, internship or no internship, adventure or no adventure, you will get something out of anything you do, which will be just what you need! 

Good luck this school year!

Love,

Sinead

Photo provided by the author

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• elephants
• internships
• summer
• travel