On this warm afternoon, I traveled again to my familiar spot in the gazebo. Looking across the lake I notice many more people enjoying the pleasant weather than I saw the last time I wrote a reflection post. A couple feeds the ducks and geese with their child, multiple people are walking their dogs around the lake, and there are many other students joining me on the gazebo’s island. One of the things that continuously fascinates me about Richmond is the fickleness of the weather. It was only a few weeks ago it seemed that I was walking through snow and bundling up. Now I’m wearing summer clothes and enjoying the heat of the sun. Just walking around campus these past few days, I have seen so many more students sitting outside doing their work and enjoying the warm air.
This weather reminds me of the weather at the very beginning of the year when it was still technically summer. I was excited to start my sophomore year as a member of Earth Lodge. Still unsure about a lot of things, I tried to have a positive outlook and embrace challenges that appeared. Now that it is the end of the year, I have accomplished many of the goals that I had created at the beginning of the year. Through Earth Lodge, I was able to volunteer in the community, learn more about my city and the importance of the river, explore nature with our fall break trip, and help my friendships with the great people on my hall to grow. I have learned so much this year about myself and the community that Earth Lodge creates. Now that it is almost summer, I’m ready to use my free time and my newly gained knowledge about Richmond to explore the city and take advantage of all the opportunities it has to offer.