maysblog

It’s finally come.

My exit from college and Aggieland has not been the traditional, triumphant finish; instead it has been a steady fade. However, I should not be surprised by this; my entrance into Aggieland took what seemed like a lifetime of preparation, and while I’m ready to move on, it will be no dramatic finish, because it seems to have no real end.

Let me make myself clearer; I am currently sitting in my empty room, void of all furniture except for a few boxes and bags of luggage. I have lived in this room in the spacious and yet quaint La Casa Verde in the center of College Station for two years. It’s the home to so many memories- from dinner parties, the building of a snowman, late nights with girlfriends and roommates, first kisses, big fights, campfires in the back acre… I love this old house, and I will miss the huge forest of a backyard and the multi-level deck. This was my first ‘big girl room’- I had art on the walls, used warm golds, oranges and reds to decorate instead of bright pinks and blues, as well as a fine four post bed and beautiful furniture to match. As much as I grew up in college, I grew up a lot in this house. I made it my home.

But now the next chapter awaits me… I was accepted by the National University of Singapore for Fall 2009. I have yet to graduate (although I have taken WAY more than the recommended number of credit hours) due to my need to fulfill ONE three credit hour United States History requirement. So, logically, instead of CLEP testing out of it, or taking it this summer and graduating in August, I convinced my parents, advisors and myself that I would get much more out of an entry level freshman course in a foreign country. Yes, I’m going all the way to Singapore to take United States History.

Judge me as you will, I have realized that one of my favorite ways to travel is as a student- you can usually get ridiculously cheap housing, not to mention discounts, a great way to not just meet but really get to know locals, and not to mention the learning environment. Not that I don’t find myself learning all the time, but I truly enjoy the classroom atmosphere, and I am anxious to experience such in an Asian country.

As much as I am looking forward to the unknown adventure awaiting me, I am so entrenched in all of the good that I have to say goodbye to. My friends who have all gone on to more school or careers, my brother’s football season at Austin College, the Aggie Football season I have watched our coaches prepare for all Spring/Summer, the Armstrong/Bergeron Dance Company’s upcoming year and new works that I will not be a part of, not to mention that I somehow got my heart tangled up with this quiet, unassuming New Englander. I am so comfortable where I am at, but I yearn for being uncomfortable, and too much more of this contentedness, and I’d be stir-crazy. It is a good thing I am going, but that doesn’t make goodbye any easier.

So in this final week, I am trying to drink it all in. Although I am not done with college, did I do everything that I wanted, that I needed? I have plenty of challenges ahead, and I look forward to each and every one of them.

But until then, I’ll enjoy this moment in my empty room, doing one of my favorite things (writing a blog on my notebook computer) and hope this memory does not fade away.