Summer Skies | Student Blog

Every time I leave the city, I always notice something new.

Maybe it has to do with growing so accustomed to the constant hum of activity in New York City that the silence of the suburbs is almost overwhelming, or maybe I’ve grown and changed enough that the way I see the world has evolved, too. But besides marveling at every gas station and Walmart I see whenever I go home, I spent most of this summer thinking about balance and consistency after a seemingly nonstop year.

The mountains are certainly different from the metropolis, and it’s an adjustment looking at the horizon instead of the skyline, but summertime has always been an opportunity to step back and evaluate the progress I’ve made over the past year without the distractions of deadlines or classwork. Finding myself just as busy as I usually am during the school year, though, I spent the majority of my break thinking especially about balance in my life—that ever-elusive combination of enough sleep, exercise, downtime, and spontaneity in my life. For part of the year, I’m in the city that never sleeps, and for the rest of it, I’m often in the sleepy suburbs, but I try to keep these elements in my day-to-day life no matter where I am. And one of the most special lessons I learned this summer is that, no matter where I go, the sky will always be the same.

Consistency has become an important focus in my life; when I started my Juilliard journey two years ago, one of my favorite things about life in New York was the fantastic view from the dorms. I watched as many sunrises and sunsets as I could, and found comfort and inspiration in the ever-changing beauty of the sky. Somehow, feeling small under the vast sky seemed to put my problems and stress into perspective.

Every summer, I still try to do the same thing wherever I am, whether it’s over a lake in northern Michigan or on a mountain cliff in Colorado. I spent part of my summer as a camp counselor and the rest of it at a music festival, and at both locations I found myself marveling at the sky night after night. In our chaotic lives, it’s easy to always be looking down and working, but sometimes it really does help to take a minute to look up at the sky—no matter where in the world I am, it’ll always be there!

After another busy but eye-opening summer, I’m so excited to jump back into my Juilliard routine and make the most of this school year. Now that I’m back and readjusting to life in the city, I’m ready to keep maintaining balance in my life and continue growing and changing, just like the sky every evening.