Monthly Archives: August 2016

Shut Up and Dance

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During my first dinner at my new house, one of my housemates asked as an impromptu icebreaker, “What song would you say was your summer anthem?” I thought a moment and said, “Shut Up and Dance” (by Walk the Moon). Now looking back at my first week, I’ve decided that the popular song has also been this week’s anthem (only in part because it’s been sung acapella or played a couple times in the past few days).

It has become a ritual of sorts for me to turn up the volume as high as possible and dance to the best of my abilities when this song comes on my car radio. Whether I’m alone or not (my boyfriend has been subjected to this ritual twice). I mumble sing along to the verses, but I can quite confidently deliver the chorus:

“Oh don’t you dare look back
Just keep your eyes on me
I said you’re holding back
She said shut up and dance with me
This woman is my destiny
She said oh oh oh
Shut up and dance with me”

This week has been tiring. I’ve met and bonded with six new brilliant housemates and our director, been warmly welcomed by members of the community, gone boating, cleaned onions on a farm, and taken walking tours of a new city with a different culture than my own. While I have been exhausted and busy, I have welcomed every opportunity instead of closing down or refusing. Because this year will challenge me and offer me experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, experiences that will change me for good. And I think I should let myself be changed.
This year is like the woman in this song. It says to me, “quiet your anxieties”. It says, “just dive in.” It says, “you may not know what’s coming, but you can do it.” It says, “shut up and dance.”

 

Growing Up and Moving On

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Around this time of the year, I am usually mentally and physically preparing for yet another new year of school. However, In just a couple weeks, I will be beginning a new, albeit relatively short, chapter of my life.

I am happy to announce that I will be living in Pennsylvania for the next year, serving with the Episcopal Service Corps in a service agency and living in a community of five others my age. I am constantly being asked if I am excited. To some I say yes. To others, I go further and say yes, I am excited and little nervous as well. I’m not really nervous about living in a different state; I’m nervous about stepping outside the comforting familiarity of going to classes, reading assignments, and writing papers.

Today, I saw some high school friends for the first time in a couple years. It’s amazing how we have all grown up; our high school selves would most likely be surprised at who we’ve become and/or experiences we’ve had. We’ve all had different experiences, but we are all basically at the same stage of life where we’re transitioning from student to “real world” life. It is a strange stage, trying to figure out careers that will suit us in the future as well as relationships that will carry us on the river.

This  year, I know where I’m living and I somewhat know what I’m doing, but it’s unclear as to what I’m doing afterwards. But I know that I shouldn’t stress unnecessarily because what will happen will happen and I’ll accept it when it does.