It’s a weird experience being in college, perhaps especially the first year. Suddenly, after years at home, I was transplanted a couple states northward. I had to do my own laundry, receive bills and work more than I ever had to before to pay them. I discovered my parents really did do a lot more than I gave them credit for and that Minnesota winters really can be brutal. And I’ve been challenged, in the classroom, on the Quad (Ultimate!) and in faith.
I think one of the strangest feelings, however, is having built a community of friends, who in few short months have begun to feel like family. I’ve been blessed to share a room with a beautiful lady, a floor with a group of lovely ladies and a campus with a plethora of great people. We do laundry, study, eat, exercise, pray and laugh a lot together. And now that I want to spend more time than ever getting to know them more, I am preparing to leave, back to Nebraska. The St. Thomas student body will scatter across the country and maybe across the globe. And next year, it will be different. There will be new seniors. Many people will live in other dorms or even in a study abroad environment.
Maybe that’s why I’m feeling occasional little pangs of sadness. Summer holds a lot of promise but, for now, I’m just basking a wee bit in a community that won’t be the same again. In the meantime, thank you, St. Thomas for all you’ve been this year. I’m so glad I came.