Jonathan Meyer.

Busy, busy, busy, it’s what we all like to say we are. Every year I grow older and still find new ways to maximize my time. Since I got out of school at the end of May, I have been waking up earlier. My once successful night owl schedule is almost nonexistent, replaced by black coffee and morning activity. The sudden change to my lifestyle had me thinking back to other ways that I have tried to survive the ever busy summers.

Fresh out of high school in 2022 I was only a mower guy. With a certain level of naivety about the world, and adding in a few months of disassociating, I was very happy. My life revolved around work, my then girlfriend, and coming home on the weekends to see the rest of the family. Life stayed pretty simple with all the down time I had.

When the summer of 2023 rolled around, I had a little bit more on my plate. I had started at the Chronicle in March and was finding my footing as a correspondent. My personal life was noticeably in shambles as I tried to make amends in an otherwise failed relationship. For that reason I commuted ninety miles a day and had to make some sacrifices, which ended up being running. Not the wisest idea considering I had signed up to compete at Wartburg in cross country. Long days of mowing, writing, and literally righting wrongs were all the things that kept me busy that summer.

Coming out of my first year of college in 2024, I had my proverbial poop in a group. With no relationships on the horizon and being in a good place emotionally, I was ready to go the distance. I took training for cross country seriously, which was a return to my old norm. With less need to commute I could focus on enjoying my time at work out of town and be thorough in my writing for the paper. Everything pretty much fell into place. I could run my fifty plus miles every week, and be successful in my professional endeavors.

Though the challenges may change a little from year to year, I have been decently happy with the way I have adapted to all of the challenges that come along with the “busy” lifestyle I live. Keeping in mind that “busy” is a very relative term, has led me to believe that I can handle even more this summer.

My hopes and dreams are even bigger this summer. Run more mileage, produce better articles, mow straighter lines, and have more fun than ever, even if it means waking up a little earlier.

Until next summer, I’m Just Jonathan.