I'd forgotten what a whirlwind college students get swept up in the minute they set foot back on campus... the all-student emails, the high expectations of well-loved professors, the quickly accumulating piles of dirty laundry, the late-night jam sessions that keep the entire dorm awake long past "quiet" hours.
I'd forgotten my mailbox number and code, and some acquaintances' names ("Oh hiiiiiii...[blank stare]!"). I'd forgotten that my bedding still has Nutella stains on it from freshman year. I was so enthusiastic to soak up some sun when our first weekend finally arrived that I'd forgotten to put on sunscreen before spending several hours reading at the beach. I'd forgotten how highlighting too much of a book defeats the entire purpose of highlighting (sorry, Socrates' Apology). I'd forgotten the small delights of adventuring (I was pleasantly pleased with the peaches at the farmer's market...)
I'd also forgotten how good it is to fall to the floor in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, or cry in the arms of a really exceptional friend. I'd forgotten to brace myself for the strangenesses of returning from a semester abroad and realizing which people actually care.
For everything I'd forgotten, returning to college stirs up an awful lot of memories too -- both the kind I wish I could discard and the gemlike kind that I want to treasure forever in the jewelry-box annexes of my heart.
I'm reminded here of how much I have grown; how deep my roots can go if I choose to invest deeply and richly; and how I am still in a continuous process of flourishing to my utmost potential.
It's good to be back.
I'd forgotten my mailbox number and code, and some acquaintances' names ("Oh hiiiiiii...[blank stare]!"). I'd forgotten that my bedding still has Nutella stains on it from freshman year. I was so enthusiastic to soak up some sun when our first weekend finally arrived that I'd forgotten to put on sunscreen before spending several hours reading at the beach. I'd forgotten how highlighting too much of a book defeats the entire purpose of highlighting (sorry, Socrates' Apology). I'd forgotten the small delights of adventuring (I was pleasantly pleased with the peaches at the farmer's market...)
I'd also forgotten how good it is to fall to the floor in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, or cry in the arms of a really exceptional friend. I'd forgotten to brace myself for the strangenesses of returning from a semester abroad and realizing which people actually care.
For everything I'd forgotten, returning to college stirs up an awful lot of memories too -- both the kind I wish I could discard and the gemlike kind that I want to treasure forever in the jewelry-box annexes of my heart.
I'm reminded here of how much I have grown; how deep my roots can go if I choose to invest deeply and richly; and how I am still in a continuous process of flourishing to my utmost potential.
It's good to be back.
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