Summer in Retrospect

Summer has gone by so fast and before I know it I'll be back in school working my ass off trying to pass my classes. But before that happens I would like to reflect upon everything that happened this summer, or at least the time I spent in the city and Black Rock Forest.

At the beginning of summer, I was anxious, excited and nervous about my first real major-related job. I couldn't wait to get there and start working. I knew it was going to be tough and physically demanding because after all, it's outdoors, field work. Needless to say, my job at BRF exceeded my expectations and made me glad I chose Environmental Biology as a major. Like any job there were ups and downs but in the end, it was all worth it. All the tick drags, and vegetation surveys and risking getting Lyme disease...well, I'm just glad I didn't get it. Working with turtles was priceless! I love them and would work with them anytime. They're so cute and adorable!...Except when they pee on you. I could totally see myself working with in the future if I don't end up going to med school. As for the people there, it was good too. However, there were times when the living situation was a bit tense because the supervisor girl was a bit too controlling and the other girls noticed it too but they aren't as patient and calm as me so they did get mad and complained about it. I must admit, I did my fair share of complaining too but I never got mad and just accepted the fact that that's just how she was and dealt with it. I also made really good friends over the summer. Living and working with people 24/7 definitely makes you become close and it the end friendships form. I became friends with a recent Columbia graduate who is just 20 years old, a girl from Switzerland who came to the US to practice her English, my supervisor and even though she is really controlling, she is a really nice girl and super funny and believe it or not, I became closer to an old friend, even though there were times I swear I could've killed her....

Me with a cutesy tiny turtle:My friends from Black Rock and me at Woody's eating their homemade ice cream:
As for the times I was in the city...I went to Coney Island even though I never actually got to swim. I walked and explored downtown, I hung out with friends and went to the Eclipse midnight showing... My friend and I baked a cake and celebrated my friend's birthday even though at a time I thought I would never be able to celebrate any of my friends' summer birthdays. I waited for hours in line in Central Park in an attempt to go see Shakespeare in the Park only to be told that they had run out of tickets ten people before they got to me. I went to Six Flags and went on the highest roller coaster in the U.S. I went to my first Yankees game ever with my best high school friends and I had a blast even though I'm not much of a baseball fan... However, I still can't get over the fact that A-Rod didn't hit his 600th home run at the game I went to... All in all, this summer was amazing and I'm really happy I got to experience all of this. It was the best summer I've had!... and summer isn't even really over yet.

Viktoriya's birthday:
With Sarai and Julian at the Yankees game: