Balin Meza ’26
I came back to school after Christmas break, excited to see my people, carrying the fact that it was my last one as a kid
The day before, I helped my older brother move into his dorm at Western Washington, a place I’ve never seen, but somehow felt familiar
There is a beauty in knowing a new chapter is starting
When I stare out the window, on a road trip, looking at the mountains and the trees, I feel small
Like, the world is bigger than my worries
Rolling down the window feeling the crisp air on my face
The same air I feel sleeping in December next to an open window
In six months I’ll breathe in the same air while camping
In eleven months, I’ll return home for my first Christmas break of college
What will life feel like then?
The only part of me that feels sad is knowing things are coming to an end
But there is a beauty in knowing a new chapter is starting
Because I know some things will always be with me
And I am lucky, knowing I have people in my life that make saying goodbye hurt
What does the future hold for me?