"You coming in for the summer was like an answered prayer."
I've had this said to me a couple time over the past several weeks while at my internship (simply because there is a transition happening at my organization and having an extra set of hands is always useful).
But today someone said it and it really got me thinking about the timing of life.
Two years ago, I had some really impeccable timing in my life. Being selected to be the one to go to the Fourth Estate from UP was like an answered prayer for me. That weekend has continued to be one of the most memorable ones I've had and I've met so many incredible people because of it. If it wasn't for the Fourth Estate, I would have never applied for the Kenyan internship and I would have never spent last summer in a place I had dreamed about for over a decade.
So when I say that I am sad that I won't be going to the Fourth Estate Summit in two weeks, I want you to understand that this is a huge weight for me. I see my friends from all over the country (and Canada) get excited for what is going to be another amazing weekend and I can't help but feel emotionally drained. I won't be seeing my family again.
But at the same time, I feel like this might be for the better. This summer has been well, interesting. But it has been really nice to be able to just relax and not feel pressured to do one thing or another. And I think that not going to the Fourth Estate is really for the better because I can instead focus more on other amazing things that are happening in my life. I think this has been life's way of saying that I need the time to take a step back.
So in short, am I sad that I'm missing the Fourth Estate? Yes, greatly. Am I going to let myself be obsessed with that sadness and slight envy? No. Instead, I'm going to focus on the things I do have in my life, rather than the things I do not.
If you are going to the Fourth Estate in 2 weeks, know that my heart is with you the entire way and I hope this year blows everything out of the water.
