lived a little

“Stop that Aya, you’re playing with lives here…”

Or am I?

After all the excitement summer has stirred in me, I would have never thought I’d end up here, in our dining table, practicing my vocabulary skills. Yes, 500 SAT words, and I had to write its definition, come up with a synonym, and use the said word in a sentence. Not that it’s too much of a challenge for me. But hey, five hundred words just drained the remaining love I had for English. “Yes Aya, complain. That’s what you do best isn’t it?”

Still riding the same train of thought, there were a lot of things I would have never thought I’d end up doing, being, or feeling.

My summer started out like any other, all the plans I had for the duration of my vacation were set and ready to go. It wasn’t like I was stepping into new territories. Such activities had been the same year after year, familiar grounds I had solidify and planted my feet firmly upon. But for some reason, I wanted to expand my horizon, and pursue something that was beyond my comfort zone.

Enter Dino… and Trumpets Playshop.

We had talked about joining even before classes ended- Alex, Dino, and I. In more familiar terms, nagkontratahan na kami. But being that both Alex and Dino had gone through the Trumpets experience beforehand, I was uneasy. Sure, I knew I could handle it, I was no bumbling idiot and I do have something to offer, but the fact that it was a new world plagued me with questions and worries that left me withdrawn and introverted about the whole matter.
When Alex would not be able to join us, I called Dino up, refusing to go forth if I had to go alone. It didn’t take much deliberation for him to agree. And when I entered the room on our first day, I had every notion to think that throughout this whole experience, I would be clinging on to Dino’s arm.

And then, summer ended. And I have created a new world to dwell upon, ignited a passion within me for the craft, and forged friendships that would outlast this summer.

Funny how summer played out for me…