The Trip That Inspired My Future

I found the Summer Studio program online via the Art Institute's website. It looked promising, five days of learning and four nights of fun. I decided that I'd pitch the idea to my mother and get her thoughts. After long drawn out conversations and tireless nights of hearing a calculator drum from underneath my mother's finger tips I was given good news. She was letting me go. I picked Miami International University of Art & Design in Miami, Florida. All the South Beach stories online had fueled this decision. I wanted a getaway from Massachusetts and the tiny city I lived in. I needed to escape somewhere far. My college list had already consisted of numerous schools in California but Miami felt more appropriate for some reason. In June, after school ended I headed out to the Sunshine State by myself. My first time traveling alone and I was going away to a college for five days! I knew it was either going to be a disaster or unforgettable. Luckily it was the latter. I landed and made my way to the school, once I arrived I was given a key and headed up to meet my roommate. A couple minutes later we were fast friends, her accent was great and always kept me interested. We headed off to the pool party and there I met another set of roommates that I quickly bounded with. In less than an hour I had a group. Swimming, pizza, and pictures later we went to bed. The next three days were unfortunately quick, we went to class from 9-4 everyday and learned quite a bit about interactive media. But every single day I saw these girls, we talked laughed and shared experiences. I felt as though we were staying here, like this was the beginning for me. But little did I realize, it was almost the end. We hit the tourist sites in Miami, starting with the strip. We went out to dinner together eating big bowls of pasta and garlicky bread. We went to a bowling alley, with the whole Summer Studio group and played a large game. I was having an amazing time with my new friends in this gorgeous city. I laughed so hard I cried and forgot all about my "other" life in Fitchburg. The day I was most excited for was our trip to South Beach, yes THAT South Beach and it lived up to its name. Beautiful sand and deep blue water. The air smelling of salt and ice cream. We shopped until we were almost broke and saw nightclubs famous people usually occupied. As the last day quickly approached I realized why this trip was the best of my life. It was the best because I had been more nervous then I was the day of the SAT's and it ended up being a monumental relief. I made lifelong friends and saw to die for landscaping. Now all I can think about as I sit at home in a boring city I've lived in my whole life is I can't wait to back. I can't wait for that to be my reality.