Just Roll With It

Sometimes you’ve just got to go with the flow.  Of course, every individual will always be cognizant of their immediate wants and needs, but in a healthy relationship, often it is worthwhile to sacrifice for the moment at hand.  Sometimes, a small decision, as trivial as going out or staying home for the evening, can go a long way towards the health of a relationship (friendly or serious alike).

This week I’m at the beach with six of my friends from high school.  We graduated little more than a week ago, and now the seven of us are living together on the beautiful island of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.  Besides being thankful for the great fortune we’ve had to have parents willing to send their children away for a week on vacation, I’m even more thankful for the company I get to spend this week with.

Seven guys.  One week.  A healthy dose of beach, surf, cocktails, football, swimming, and sunburn.  We’ve only been here for 3 days but already we’ve made memories that I will cherish for a long time to come.  After four years, hundreds of classes, sports, parties, and late night movies, this week is the Pinnacle of our high school friendships.

So how do we approach such a week?  After this, we still have the rest of the summer, and after that breaks and vacations to reconvene with our friends.  Nevertheless, I find it imperative that we live this week to the fullest.  As overused and exaggerated as #yolo may be, I feel like this is one week when it truly does apply.

When I come home next week, I’ll have the rest of my life to go to sleep early.  I’ll have plenty of time to play XBOX, and peruse facebook.  But this week of living with six of my closest friends in the world is a unique opportunity.  So I’ll stay up late.  I’ll order Cracked Conch at the restaurant despite my stomach’s deepest fear for seafood.  I’ll even scramble eggs for breakfast and volunteer to do some dishes. 

In the end though, it doesn’t matter that we’re in Turks and Caicos.  It doesn’t matter what restaurant we eat at.  It doesn’t matter what bed we sleep in or who gets the first shower.  What matters is that we’re together, and that we enjoy each other’s company for better or for worse.

It’s one week of our lives.  One week of sacrifice for the people we’ve grown to appreciate so much.  Even if you’re exhausted, or hungry, or a cute girl asked you to meet up…there will always be time to sleep and eat and hang out with girls.  So for one week all I want is for everyone to roll with the punches, to do their part to make this week memorable for the whole group.  Of course it’s not easy, but if you care about your friends it’s well worth the sacrifice.