SENIOR YEAR PREEMPTIVE NOSTALGIA
BY SAMANTHA KRUSE
The summer I spent in Athens was the greatest love story of my life. Integrating into the summer season means new faces, stopping to smell the flowers, and secret nooks of Athens. The college town turns into a sanctuary for creatives and travelers alike: exploring the nature of the parks surrounding Athens, riding on the bike trail, swimming in the greenness of Strouds Run State Park, and enjoying the company of friends under a starlit sky. I have grown with this place that I now call home, and as I experience my last year of college, I am already feeling nostalgic. I learned about the phrase “preemptive nostalgia” from my summer reading, “Mary Jane,” which is a coming of age novel about a young girl in the ’70s living the best summer of her life. Now, we definitely experienced different summers, but the idea of preemptive nostalgia struck me: missing something before it is gone.
Through my favorite places in Athens, my best friends, new friends, and music, I have felt emotional about my senior year. I have a love for Applachia like I never had before, and I already miss this place, yet I am still here. Driving through the mountains of Appalachia while listening to “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” screaming “Dixieland Delight” with our added chants, dancing our hearts out to “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” and frolicking to “Dog Days Are Over” at Strouds Run State Park.
I have gotten to know people in the community while working in The Plains at Little Fish Brewery, and I am thankful for all the connections. I have met many tourists traveling to Athens, falling in love with the nature surrounding them, the quaint small town filled with locally owned restaurants; bikers traveling the states who finish their rides in Athens and enjoy sips of locally brewed beer before their journey back to California. A customer once told me, “Athens is a hidden gem,” and I cherish that comment because it truly is a hidden gem filled with lore, wildlife, greenery, and history.
I’ve now experienced all of the seasons of Athens, and it has its own magic with each change of weather. Fall, the season of the witch, a mini Salem if you will. Winter is chilling, perfect for ghost stories and hiking at The Ridges to get your blood pumping. Spring is filled with cherry blossoms and deer sharing the sidewalk with you. Finally, the summer, a time for the hippies to dance freely on Court Street, swim, and enjoy the music. Athens is a hidden gem and a sanctuary I will never forget.
Dos and Don’ts of Athens Summer:
Do cut your hair.
Do visit Strouds.
Do summer readings.
Do paint, collage, craft, draw, etc.
Do dance at Casa Nueva every chance you get.
Do listen to local music.
Do participate in Athens Brew Week.
Do explore the community.
Don’t fall for the granola men.
Don’t spend all your time inside.
Don’t take it for granted.
