I’m writing this final blog from the air, watching the sunset over DC Metro area. These last few weeks have been pure chaos. Finals are always a little hectic. I rarely have to actually take tests, because being an American Studies major means that I mainly churn out papers. But this semester I took two classes that required me to sit honest-to-goodness cumulative exams. Then there’s move-out, which always takes about 30x longer than you thought it would. And as a FOOT (First-year Outdoor Orientation Trips) Leader (see my previous blog!) I spend six days at the end of every semester in training. A lot of my friends are also FOOT leaders, which means are goodbyes are a little drawn-out. I’ve been travelling with Yalies all day—watching Game of Thrones in the airport, sprinting to make our flights—but I did have to bid farewell to a few really special people this morning.
Last year, my lack of exams meant I left campus before a lot of people and goodbyes were relatively painless. This year, my heart was pummeled into a tiny pulp and I got teary-eyed and snotty nosed as my friends dropped me off at the Hartford Airport. Some of them I won’t see for three entire months. When you spend days upon days upon days together—studying, gossiping, sharing meals, laughing, crying, sleeping, cuddling—three months feels impossible. When we see each other again, we will be juniors. Some of us will be living off campus. Everything will be a new again.
Beautiful spring flowers on the Davenport Courtyard
What I have loved most about this year is the connections I’ve strengthened and solidified with the people I love. It has not been an easy year. My friends and I have lost family members and been through periods of stress and grief. We have seen injustice on campus and in New Haven. There have been times when we have felt really, really hopeless.
When I look back on this year, what I will remember is the support and love I felt from my Yale family. I’ll remember lolling around on the grass in the spring and on beanbags in the winter. When I leave Yale, I remember what I love about being home. But when I come home, I can’t stop thinking about school. My room, the libraries, the Silliman courtyard, the way trees look in October. I guess that makes me extremely lucky.
But for now—summer! California! My family! There’s a lot to look forward to. There’s a lot to love, at school and at home. Or, as I’ve kind of started to think of it, in California Home and Silliman Home.
Have a wonderful summer,
Lily
