ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Hasta Luego

While celebrating the New Year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, I picked up a Spanish phrase that strikes my fancy: hasta luego. It translates to “see you later,” and captures my mood as the transition into a new year, semester, and era of this newspaper begins.

It feels as though a goodbye is in order, to many things. As far as 2015 went, there were many events that pushed me to a brink of stress that I’d never before been exposed to. For example, my car was stolen. As fate would have it, my boyfriend saw a stranger drive off into the darkness with my Jeep as he took out the trash, moments before my closest friends were coming over for an end-of-finals celebration.

2015 sat me down and gave me the business.

Nearly a month later, I am fortunate to have my trusted vehicle in my possession once again. For the most part, I’m just glad to have my own set of wheels back—despite the thief taking personal items such as photographs with him and leaving behind a stench of cigarettes and musty cologne.

While I’m ready to move on, credit is due to the critical moments and events of the past that have molded me into who I am today at this very moment. It almost feels as though I have this whole “adulting” thing under control, mainly because 2015 sat me down and gave me the business, whether I was ready or not.

Not everything I’m saying goodbye to, however, is terrible. In fact, I owe so much to one venue that is undergoing a complete transformation. The Advocate has cultivated my passions, driven my talents, and exceeded my expectations. The only thing making this goodbye easy is knowing that the Sentry represents our roots and foundations; the best is yet to come.

On the night of the car theft, I sipped eggnog and mourned the end of an era. On NYE, I danced on the streets of Old Town PV, and welcomed the beginning of 2016 with fireworks on the beach. Now, it’s time to embrace a worthy hasta luego through hard work and dedication. What was once known as the Advocate is now the Sentry. I’m excited to see what this change brings.

—Savannah Nelson