“Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end. Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend, let's see how far we've come,  let's see how far we've come”

It’s been a long haul, folks. Two whole semesters, plus a significant chunk of the summer has been devoted to Billy, Teddy, America, Loki, the whole gang. Every project lab I have been working on Young Avengers. I’ve made Pinterest boards, Unsplash photo galleries, binders, a website, a board game. I’ve saved posts and asked questions, made folders and playlists. Countless Google Docs, slideshows and poster boards. And I’ve loved doing it- but I think it may be time for a change. 

“It's gone gone, baby it's all gone, there is no one on the corner and there's no one at home. It was cool cool, it was just all cool. Now it's over for me, and it's over for you”

I’ve worked with so many different mediums for this project, and I learned a TON. I learned about animating, drawing, working with actors, recording, sound editing, making storyboards, holding an audition, organizing materials, and making board games. I learned about budgeting and being flexible and getting back up after you’ve been knocked down. I learned about success and how to rejoice in it. I learned about what people I would work with again, and who I will not. 

“The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour and I started staring at the passengers who're waving goodbye. Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?

I have some concerns, reservations about stopping this project. For starters, I don’t want to disappoint people. I spent Big Picture’s money on a software I didn’t use, I recorded voices that I haven’t ever mixed, and I told people to expect the show on Youtube and Instagram. I don’t want other people to feel like I’m quitting, and to make them question whether or not I can complete projects. It’s not an awesome feeling, which is why I am hesitant. 

“But I believe the world is burning to the ground. Oh well, I guess we're gonna find out. Let's see how far we've come”

But here’s the truth. I don’t want to feel that way. I don’t want to make my decisions based on how they will make other people feel. I want to take care of myself, before I think about how others are feeling- because I don’t do that a lot. And I want to make sure I am making my health and my happiness a priority. Why would I continue a project that isn’t bringing me happiness, and that isn’t making me feel like I am accomplishing something? I guess to just get it done. But do I really want to do a project just to do it? No. I really don’t. 

“I started running but there's nowhere to run to. I sat down on the street and took a look at myself, said “Where you going man you know the world is headed for hell”. Say your goodbyes if you've got someone you can say goodbye to.”

I don’t think the Young Avengers are dead. After all, this isn’t ‘Infinity Wars’. I can definitely see myself picking this project up again either over the summer, or next year. But this is the last semester of my sophomore year. At the beginning of this year I wanted to push myself harder. I wanted to get more out of my projects and feel less bored, more intrigued. I think if I were to continue Young Avengers I would start to feel less accomplished, and more like a robot. Just chugging along, trying to get it done. 

I could even see myself continuing this project during SLT and Project Lab, just in my free time. But I don’t want to make it my main focus. I need a little bit of a break from Young Avengers. I don’t know where I am going from here, but since when do I let that stop me? I know that I need to shake things up a little bit- do something I haven’t done before. I knew I didn’t want to continue the project when Jim said ‘Raise your hand if you’re continuing your project’. I raised my hand and felt like I wanted to cry. I didn’t realize until now that I am really, really burned out with this project. So I’m doing what’s best for me. 

“Let's see how far we've come. Let's see how far we've come. Let's see how far we've come. Let's see how far we've come”

Song quotes from Let’s See How Far We’ve Come by Matchbox Twenty