Leaving

I feel like I’ve been saying goodbye for quite a while now. I made the trek to Lawrence the last weekend in July for a send-off from some friends (hi K, K, and T!), and I received a few gag gifts during my “exit interview” from work. But the hardest goodbyes are the ones left unsaid. People have been chatting about all of the exciting things they’ve started doing this semester. When I saw a Facebook photo album from my scholarship hall’s events during Orientation, I almost lost it. I was fine while browsing through photos of the returning residents – and then I saw some photos of the new men. Men that I will be living with when I return – men who have had a semester of the KU experience without me – men who already have begun to construct their collegiate identities. Another benefit of studying abroad spring semester is that I have no say in roommate choice. This actually isn’t a big problem for me. Last year, I decided to go potluck again and thanks to my wonderful proctor ended up with a fun balanced room of freshmen. Here’s hoping…