Cambridge Lesson

There's something exciting about starting from scratch. Of course, when it comes after a ruined batch of cookies or dead-end writing assignment, it can be a little disheartening... But aside from that, new beginnings have an appeal. I've lived in the same town since I was three, but I like to daydream about moving somewhere new. I'd be somewhere completely different, surrounded by people who didn't know me yet, and I could be anyone I wanted. I could create a whole new identity—like make-believe, only the game doesn't end when the dress-up box shuts.
Well, it looks like I'll be living here for a while yet, but I did get a chance this summer to start at square one. I flew across the Atlantic to Cambridge for a three-week camp. While I didn’t reinvent myself, I did get to experience new things with lots of new people. I made some great friends while I was there; we nicknamed ourselves the “Hufflepuff Gang”. Being together all day every day, you can become surprisingly close, even after just three weeks. Looking back I can see that it’s the everyday things that make up life and relationships. All of my favorite memories from the trip are of the most ordinary things—walking to the market, playing Frisbee, going for early-morning runs while everyone sane is still asleep. Live for the little things. You’ll be surprised how much they matter at the end of the day (or trip, as the case may be).