Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Adjusting After Break: Finding Balance in a New Semester

As we all may know, going to a school far away from home or in an environment you are not used to can be difficult. My first semester at Ohio Northern was awesome. I got to experience fun things and meet new people. Then Christmas break hit, and I spent a whole month at home. Being home for that long after not being home for basically four months had made it very hard to come back. My roommate left because she wasn't playing softball anymore, and we were going to hit season hard right when we got back. I am also someone who loves the warm weather and summer, so I am definitely a victim of getting sad during the cold, snowy days. 

Ever since coming back from Christmas break, it has been harder for me to adjust to a schedule. When we came back, like I said, we really hit softball hard and have been ever since. I love being busy and being on a schedule, but for some reason, this semester has been harder for me than last. With that being said, I was able to see my family on Saturday, and it was much needed! We have been super busy with softball since we are now in season, but we had an off day because it was Valentine's Day, and I was able to go out to lunch with my family. It felt so nice to be able to catch up with them and forget about everything else that is going on. 

I live almost three hours away, so we met up at a Mexican restaurant a little over halfway on Saturday. I was able to see my mom, dad, brother, and my brother's girlfriend. After we all ate, we went shopping for a little bit and ended up getting Starbucks. I got back home later on Saturday and went to bed early because we had to be up early for our scrimmage against Defiance! I am super glad I got spend time with my family. I think that was exactly what I needed. 


I am glad that the weather is starting to warm up this week, even though I am sure it will be freezing again in a few days! I bet some of you can relate to being happier when it's sunny and hot outside! If anyone knows how I feel and needs advice, the one thing I would say is to live in the moment. I tend to get so worked up about the future and what it holds instead of living in the present and enjoying the little things!! The simplest things, like going to spend even a few hours with your family, can make you realize how loved and cared for you truly are. 

3 comments:

  1. Hi Karlie! Similar to you, I struggle when the weather is cold. The seasonal depression that a lot of people experience! I've been so happy that the weather is slowly getting warmer but being that we live in Ohio, it will probably fluctuate a lot before the warm weather sticks around for good. I'm glad you were able to see your family and have a little break from the busy college life. Good luck with the remainder of the semester!

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  2. Hey Karlie! It sounds like you had a good reset this past weekend. Even though it's tough right now, it seems like you have a good group of people around you. Good luck this season!

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  3. Hi Karlie! I am glad you had a good time with your family! I got to see my parents on Valentine's as well, since they came to watch my track meet. I can relate to what you said about preferring the warmer weather. Today gave me some hope that it may be coming soon!

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