Summer is here!

 June has rolled around, bringing with it scorching hot sun and sporadic morning drizzles, marking the beginning of summer. The hottest season of the year probably started a month or two ago for many. Yet, to a JC student who has gone through an intense and stressful period of time, juggling academic work, CCAs and preparations for competitions since April, the sweet taste of summer has only now arrived.

 This summer is a special one, for it marks many of my “firsts”. First summer holiday in JC. First summer that is not for chilling out but for exam preparations (sad life, I know!). First time my brothers will be coming to visit me.

 First time I am not flying home.

 My facebook feed these days is full of statuses complaining about how much of a real chore packing is. They do not know how much I wish I could be packing right now. The more I think about the people, the food, the places back home that I have, in a moment of utmost stupidity, sacrificed to “focus on studying for exams”, the more I realise how reckless of a decision it was. It is not that I am regretting and blaming myself, I just think I have made a mistake. A truly foolish one.

 But is that not what I always do? I have made so many mistakes, made so many wrong choices in my life that I am now no stranger to the task of picking up the broken pieces and trying to put them back together, albeit imperfectly. I will not get to see my friends this summer? All is fine, studying will keep me busy so that I will not miss them as much. And friendship does not simply vanish just because we do not see each other often. I will not get to spend the lazy afternoons reading by the large white window – my favorite feature in my room? Never mind, I can always bring a book to one of the secluded parks I discovered recently. I will not get to have dinner with my family, savouring every mouthful of my mom’s cooking while chit-chatting with my brothers about everything and nothing at all? It is alright, they are coming here. Singapore food will have to do.

 I know this summer is not going to be perfect the way I want it to. But unexpected perfection has its own charm. I have learnt it the hard way to not be such a compulsive perfectionist, to not expect things to go exactly the way I want. Life is not a one-way street, but is filled with a myriad of twists and turns. They take you to places you did not know exist and take your breath away with their sheer beauty. Just buckle up, go with the flow and let life work its magic on you.

 So here I am. Guitar on my back. Book in my hands. Mp3 player filled with favorite songs. I am ready to have my breath taken away this June.