Sometimes summer is not as relaxing as one hopes and dreams. An example of this was my most recent summer, the summer of lost aspirations. Though trips to Greece and the Naval Academy may seem to be filled with fond memories, this was not the case for Caroline’s 2014 summer.

To start off the trip to Greece, my feeble body was stricken with airsickness. It took three trips to the back lavatory to be able to finish out the flight comfortably in my 47A seat. Relieved when the flight landed, I scurried off the plane to go get my bag from luggage claim.

The carousel went round and around but to no avail did my four wheeled, blue bag appear. I quickly came to the conclusion that it was dropped into the Atlantic Ocean or during our connecting flight in Rome, the Italian Mafia really wanted my size nine and a half Asics running shoes.

At last! The bag arrived our last night in Athens just before we moved to Crete. When the next morning came, I soon realized that my bag was being checked to the same airline that lost it in the first place. Thankfully it was a direct flight and my luggage came through safe and sound. I immediately put on my running shoes and went for what I thought would be a nice, easy run.

After being honked at twice by the same man, I then started on my trek up the 98-degree angle hill that continued for five miles. Extremely dehydrated with my blood boiling hot enough to make macaroni and cheese, I concluded it was time for me to turn back.

I soon discovered that I did not have a room key and was locked out of every building. I befriended the maintenance woman, and she let me into my room where I collapsed onto the floor.

Fast forward a week, and it is off to the United States Naval Academy. I thought I was going to improve immensely but my endeavors came to an abrupt stop with a pole. This then led to a concussion.

This incident put a damper on my running abilities for the next two weeks. Right when I thought I could run again, a surprise visit to the wisdom teeth stealers was in order.

Another two weeks passed and cross-country started. To myself, I stated, “Nothing more will happen to me this summer!” The statement was true but on the fateful morning of Friday August fifteenth, a car grazed my leg while enjoying my daily run. The moral of this story is never let your guard down, especially when you think it is no longer your season of demise.