I admit, it was absolutely hilarious seeing Juice jump about 5 feet into the air in the middle of Times Square. Arjun ‘24, or as we know him at Groton, Juice, though he hates admitting it, gets easily startled, and when I saw him sitting on a bench in Times Square, scrolling through his phone and waiting for me, I just couldn’t resist the temptation to sneak up behind him and grab him by the shoulders.
After Juice’s initial terror dispersed and I – stopped laughing (it took a few minutes), Juice embraced me and asked, “How’s your summer been?” This was about a month into summer break, and yet, after the closeness and daily interactions that Groton and its small campus bring, it felt like a small eternity. Between Juice’s research, his attendance at West Point’s Summer Leader Experience, my internship, and a plethora of hockey events, we were hard-pressed to find the time in our busy lives to just meet up and hang out in NYC for a day.
Luckily, we both happened to have this weekend free and took full advantage of it. We visited M&M’s World, the famous candy shop in the middle of Time Square, had lunch at Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips (it was surprisingly cheap and uncrowded), enjoyed some gelato sitting in Central Park, and visited the MoMA, Trump Tower, the Rockefeller Center, Ground Zero, and the 9/11 Museum.
And yet, despite all the attractions, the most memorable moment I had that day was sitting at a pier I can’t remember the name of, watching the sunset, enjoying Chipotle, and just talking about things. Groton and college, two topics that are never far from a rising Sixth Former’s (senior’s) mind, but also the NHL draft, Oppenheimer, summer plans, and why NYC is better than Philly.
It is the small moments like these that I have come to cherish. Sitting on a pier and relaxing with an easily-startled friend. Visiting one of my oldest friends (I’ve known him since kindergarten) for a weekend and playing a game of pool that came down to a final shot. Laughing over the phone at 9 in the evening while playing a mobile game with a friend from Groton who lives in China (seriously, who even plays video games at 9 in the morning). Enjoying some Junior’s cheesecake with a Korean friend staying in NYC to play squash. Taking care of a friend’s cat and watching him try to bite a hockey teammate staying over to train with me for a week. Moments where I’m not skating, lifting or studying. Moments where I can relax and escape the pressures of trying to go D1 for hockey, getting into a top university, or scrounging up a good grade in Organic Chemistry next year. Moments that would not be possible without the friendships formed through Groton and hockey.