Written by: Lucy Castañeda, Caminos al Futuro 2024
I did not expect to spend three weeks this summer in a large city like Washington, D.C. What I did expect was to run late at least once during my Caminos experience.
There were only two minutes left as I shoved a granola bar into my mouth and slipped on my shoes, rush-hobbling down the stairs. There was one minute left as my roommate and I sprinted in record time up the hill towards the tennis courts. We sat quietly to catch our breaths.
We were drenched in sweat as we hustled and hit the ball. The sun loomed over our group and drained our stamina, so we decided to end the game early and go eat. We laughed as we “accidentally” sprayed each other with a refreshing hose water. We later jumped on the Vex shuttle from Mount Vernon to Foggy Bottom with clothes that were sopping wet as we went for a bite. Our lunch consisted of loaded tater tots and soda. Later, we jumped into the pool for a swim and then raced for the showers to get ready for the 4th of July festivities.
And this is where I find myself, surrounded by other Caminos Scholars at the Kennedy Center who are encouraging me on as I write my blog.
While I miss my family and the party we annually host for the 4th of July, I am learning how to be independent, which is an important part of Caminos. I am grateful to be celebrating the event with an incredibly friendly and hilarious group. The friendships I have recently formed are helping me combat the feeling of homesickness, and I cannot wait to see the memories we will make together.
As I wait for the fireworks, I am content with the fact that I finally feel at peace with the new experiences and memories that lie ahead.
Lucy Castañeda is a 2024 Caminos al Future Scholar. Lucy’s views are her own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.