Back from Break

What is it like coming back to the Academy after winter break? Hard. I am going to be honest; it was difficult coming back after living like a civilian, hanging out with my friends, and spending the holidays with my family; then going straight to challenging classes, command breathing down your neck, and military demands. This was my mentality on the plane ride home on 05JAN. Being close with my friends and family, I was dreading leaving them again. Going from warm, sunny California to cold, dreary Connecticut did not aid the transition.

These were the negative feelings I was harboring on the way back to school, but they all melted away when I was met with excitement and smiles from my shipmates. The week we returned started with moving rooms—no simple task—in which I watched my company continuously and selflessly help each other move before thinking of themselves. Talking and laughing with my friends, I realized I had truly missed them. After resting over break, I was ready for a new academic challenge. It was relieving having a fresh start with new subjects and teachers. Returning to water polo practice, I felt refreshed and excited for our upcoming season.

As I walked to dinner with my team after practice one day, watching the sun set behind Hamilton, I was filled with a sense of gratitude. All the little things I had complained about seemed so trivial. I remembered how hard I worked in my high school career and the joy I felt at getting accepted into my dream school. Going to the Academy is the opportunity of a lifetime. It is easy to forget this, but through the challenges and responsibilities we are given, we are being built to be officers in the United States Coast Guard.