Through The Looking Glass: Summer of solitude
By Sarah Delia, staff writer
Posted on August 28, 2006

It’s an embarrassing omission I must plead guilty to: I have always struggled being on my own. In the past I’ve made a habit of enclosing myself into a tightly knit circle that’s spun ‘round and ‘round each night like a blur of lights observed from the seat of a carnival ride gone wrong, merely spinning for the sake of spinning. The ultimate downer to these rides is of course getting off, being left with the inevitable side effects of dizziness, drowsiness, motion sickness and a bunch of other “nesses” I need not venture into.

Trying to steer clear of a (hopefully) college version of “what I did on my summer vacation” synopsis, I’ll instead enlighten you dear readers of what I learned on my summer vacation, which was a little more interesting than where I was. Instead of going back home, cruising to the Bahamas or laying out on the beach every day, I stayed right here in Pleasant Valley, Va., where the summers are even more laid back then the Southern drawl I seemed to have picked up on along the way.

My friends, absolutely perplexed and confused by this consistency in location, asked numerous times: But why? Luckily because of my dietary habits as a vegetarian, I am well-prepared for this two-letter question as it is frequently asked with a turn of the head and an incomprehensible stare, followed by the next question: But you can still eat chicken, right?

Shockingly, I actually do enjoy furthering my education and vocabulary, so I was sincerely giddy when I got to stay and take classes that added more to the books that already flood my floor.

Cooking and cleaning were also traits I had to develop while living on my own this summer because it looks like mom and dad were right when they said dinner doesn’t put itself on the table, and that if you don’t clean off the kitchen counter, you will get ants. Subleasing from the humble home I now share with three other lovely ladies left me alone for the summer in a house that can get quite scary at night and perhaps even more frightening when opening up bills that can’t be split four ways. But instead of quitting the several jobs I worked to pay for such frightening bills and pack up for home due to loneliness, I sought comfort else — in my new five-fingered kitten Garrett.

There’s a certain luxury that ruins you permanently when you can finally embrace and learn to love a summer of solitude — sharing the remote may prove to detrimental, along with blaring my loud feminist music until my old townie neighbors cover their ears and raise an angry fist in the air at me will all be greatly missed.

As crazy as it may sound to stay in a town where the main event of the summer was a recent week-long county fair, I found it to be most productive and relaxing. Sure, being from the Northern Virginia area, it was hard to say goodbye to my five cars, various butlers and huge mansion I throw killer parties in when my parents are away every weekend visiting distant relatives that have links to royalty. But I learned that the best things happen on country summer nights just reading a book on top of a roof instead of waiting to get on some carnival ride you’re most likely going to get sick from — not enjoy.

Sarah Delia is an English and art history major who welcomes everyone back to the beautiful campus of JMU.