end of summer

it's the end of summer once again, and my heart aches for may, when summer was merely an idea in my head but one filled with all the hope and anticipation that summer is always burdened with bearing. i yearn for lazy days at home, weeks at the beach, lunches with friends, and weekend outings with the family. today i return to school, and with my jet lag still lingering, i now also yearn for thanksgiving, when i can return home again.

it's been less than a week since i returned home from china, and i'm off to hop on a plane again to leave. the sun is rising now over the lake, flaming and liquid, and the water is so still you can see the clouds reflected in it. i feel rushed to leave home again--i feel like i've barely spent any time here this summer. one month home, two months in shanghai, ten days in beijing, and then home again for six days.

last night we had crabs on the deck with a close family friend--it's almost become a ritual since i started college. it seems that every time i leave home for school again we invite this friend over for crabs--i always request crabs for dinner when i'm home, and this friend is so close she's almost like family, so i don't worry myself that she'll intrude on my last blissful night at home.

i don't really know what to expect of this semester, so perhaps that's why i'm so intimidated by the thought of it. i think it'll be tough and new, but i suppose it also has the potential to be great if i make it happen. anyhow, here's to another semester of possibility and an amazing place to return to at the end of it all.