Samantha Podnar

NAI was a place of mixed emotions. From the dread of an upcoming test to the infectious laughter in the company of friends, the crowded halls and classrooms were always swirling with liveliness. NAI was a melting pot of the human experience, a jumble of happiness and anxiety and everything in between. When we were there, things felt real. That building is more than just brick and mortar; it is the friendships we made, the things we accomplished, the love we shared. 

There is something significant about the fact that when we reminisce we only seem to remember the good times. No matter the struggles we were confronted with, we emerged with fond memories and smiles on our faces. We can’t remember everything, so we find the good times to hang on to. As we leave them behind, they are coated with a layer of nostalgia, a rosy curtain surrounding the past in a sentimental haze that makes us long for them again, wishing to return to a time when the world wasn’t falling apart around us. 

It is tempting to feel that this is an abrupt end, a goodbye as NAI’s brick walls seem to fade with our memories. Countless other students have stood in our shoes, facing the end of an era, the closing of a chapter. Granted, it is safe to say that our situation is uniquely unfortunate, yet at the end of the day it’s still letting go, something that a myriad of other people have had to do to the happiest times in their lives. And by letting go, we give ourselves the chance to pen the first words of a new story, whether that be for our new year at NASH or one at NAI for the rising freshmen.