Coming back to school this year feels more thrilling than ever before. Many students are returning from a summer that could only be known as exciting, new, and different. The summer of 2022 was the first “normal” summer since COVID, which meant that people were going all out. Every time I opened Instagram, I saw new photos of people exploring new places, enjoying parties, and finally getting to act like teenagers. I also had all of these experiences. However, when it comes to returning to school, my experience is very different.

Unlike those whose last time on campus was in late May, I hadn’t been here since before Christmas. I spent the second semester of the school year living and going to school in Saudi Arabia. While there, I experienced the country, made friends, and immersed myself in a culture very different from here in the United States. 

While fully immersing myself in this new life, I maintained many connections at home, one of which is the Palmetto and Pine. When I joined the Palmetto and Pine at the beginning of my junior year and became the News editor, I never imagined I would be writing articles about Saudi Arabia on the ground. However, having this opportunity deepened my love of the newspaper and journalism. 

I spent many of my nights on facetime in the newspaper staff meetings. Some people thought I was crazy, but I can’t describe how invested I was in the newspaper. Every night I got excited to log on and talk to my section’s writers and peers. 

It has always been my goal to open up people’s minds about each other and the world. I believe that we are much more similar than we are different. With my experiences from this past year, I now come back to school feeling more energized than ever to create a paper that allows my peers to connect with the world around them while having the opportunity to empathize with it. As we come back to school, I am excited to highlight the beginnings of many new things and the continuation of traditions from years past.