Surviving, Thanking, and Escaping
The heavy thud of our bags hitting the wooden bench of the cottage felt like the official end of the semester. No more alarms, no more frantic group chats about deadlines, and no more school stress. Just the cool, open breeze of San Juan Beach Resort brushing against our faces.
Looking around at everyone finding a spot in the shade, it felt surreal. My mind drifted straight back to the second semester of our first year. I had been sitting alone, completely overwhelmed and feeling out of place, when this exact group walked up to me. That simple, casual approach turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me in college. We had pulled each other through the absolute trenches—the brutal exam weeks, the shared panic over final requirements, the exhaustion, and the quiet moments where we reminded each other not to give up. But today, school was finally done. The reality of grades and responsibilities was left behind the moment we walked through the resort gates.
We sat together under the native roof, watching the gentle waves roll onto the shore. Someone cracked a joke, and loud, unfiltered laughter echoed over the sound of the ocean. It was that specific kind of laughter born from pure relief.
Shoutout to this group for approaching me (sag si elena to) in 1st year, 2nd sem and deciding I was stuck with them forever. We survived the academic trenches and major struggles just to finally make it to our first ever outing! 😭 Thank you guyyzz!
