It seems as though my time here is quickly coming to an end. At best, I have a total of less than a week. Which is really odd…

There are so many things I will miss about this place. I’ve been noticing them more and more as the time here draws to a close. Some of them I miss already even though I’m still here. Aside from the people, which will obviously be the hardest, here’s a list of some of the things I’ll miss the most and will soon be a distant memory.

~The Mahler bells. Oh, the bells. Sometimes I hear them in my head when I’m not even on campus. By far, my favorite is when you can hear the ringing at the same time the police academy down the road is practicing their shooting. Classic.

~Trees, fountains, light posts, gazebos, ponds, and never-ending construction. Need I say more?

~The lighting of the Christmas Bush. Tacky yet festive.

~Getting kicked off the soccer field. And then the parking lot. And then the tennis courts. And, oh yeah… The boys dorm. Gotta love security….

~Running up the hill. And then continuing up the stairs to the 3rd floor of the LC. And then back down the hill. And back up the hill. You know what… scratch that. Won’t even miss that a little.

~Dr. Pepper Breaks. Dr. Pepper period. Coke is of the devil. I’m just sayin.

~The ducks. They kinda think they own the place, but I like em anyway. Especially when they swim in the pool.

~Power Outages!! It’s comforting to know that with all this tuition we’ve paid that we still can’t count on there being electricity. (or internet that actually works) But I do love it when the whole campus goes black and everyone relocates to Starbucks, Chick Fil A, and IHOP b/c of blackouts. Fun stuff.

~The International Building. Some of my happiest and hardest times were spent here and it really did become my second home. I still can’t walk by the couches w/o straightening the pillows. It allowed me to meet some of the greatest people I have ever known. Virtually all of my memories of DBU are tied in some way to this place. My future is directly linked to my involvement there. And it all started with a phone call from MI. crazy. Who woulda thought?

I’ll miss these things and so many more. But most of all, I’ll miss these people. I can’t put into words exactly how much I will miss them. How much I miss some of them already. I physically ache when I think about it. Then come the tears. You’d think that would eventually get better. About that…..

I’ve been told that life goes on. Change is inevitable. Get over it. (and my personal favorite…) Grow up.

I suppose in time I will. But for now, I reserve the right to long for what was… and what will never be again. I’m not at all a fan of the transition between ’super close friends’ and ’some guy/girl’ I used to know.

Perhaps I have abandonment issues. Perhaps I do need to grow up and get over it. Either way, I’m thankful for every memory, every person, and every moment. What blessings they were…