An Unexpected 4th of July
One of the most challenging moments for me my freshman year was when my parents moved to Washington, D.C. when my mom got a new job. When I went home on breaks from school I was not able to re-connect with old friends as many of my other peers were, and I found myself missing my hometown of Columbus, Ohio more than I ever thought I would. Since moving, I have been able to visit friends and my family who still live in Ohio on several occasions, but not as often as I would like. However, over 4th of July I got to visit Ohio completely unexpectedly!
Allow me to explain. As I mentioned previously, I have been spending my summer working at a camp for kids with Autism in Black Mountain, North Carolina. We had a week off from camp over the week of 4th of July, so I came home to Washington, D.C. expecting to spend a quiet, relaxing week with my family. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from my mom right before my flight telling me that we had no power in our house due to a really bad storm that had just come through! I came home to a house that had no power, no air conditioning, and little to no running water. When my mom and I were told that we most likely wouldn’t have power restored for almost a week, we grabbed my dog and made a split-second decision to travel to Columbus to stay with my grandma.
While I was in Columbus I was able to not only spend time with my extended family, but also with one of my best friends from high school. On July 3rd, we went into downtown Columbus for Red, White, and Boom which is the annual fireworks show that draws a huge crowd. The fireworks were amazing and it was nice to be able to catch up with her and her family. On the 4th I was also able to watch the parade in the suburb I grew up in, which was so fun because they get REALLY into the 4th of July and the floats are always really cool! Plus we have a giant spinning bear (see below). The fact that it was close to 100 degrees didn’t phase us at all!
Even though my 4th of July didn’t turn out like I had planned it at all, it ended up being better than I ever could have imagined. Getting to go back to my hometown and see my family and friends was a wonderful opportunity that I am extremely thankful for. It made my week off from camp truly memorable, and allowed me to relax before going back for the second half of camp!
