back to notts for the last time...

after a month long adventure across the continent and other random islands (ireland and santorini) five of the nine are back in the flat. tomorrow we await the return of the rest of our flatmates and prepare ourselves for the next six weeks. the planes, trains and automobiles (and boats and hiking) of break are not to be forgotten and i will be sure to document it all once i get the chance to breathe and dabble through my pictures. as for now, i have been up since 5am greece time (3am gmt) and it is nearing eleven o'clock here, so i need a bit of sleep. let me just say this...

as mary and i traveled from santorini to athens last night and then from athens to london and up to notts this morning, there was a common theme in our thoughts. we could not help, but dwell on the fact that this is the last 'homecoming' for us to nottingham. the past seven months have streaked past us. we have missed those at home and missed many happenings of trivial and meaningful nature, but what we realized is that the biggest change has actually occurred in ourselves. although it is hard to pinpoint just what is different, our outlook on life, how we will live the rest of it, and how we interact with people - it has all been forever altered, for the better as far as we can tell. we have seen more of the world in the last year that i ever thought i would get the chance to. i have had the opportunity to look at my home nation from many different perspectives and going back to that culture which seems so far removed, and yet so close in this globalized world, will be an experience in itself. the next six weeks will be challenging academically and emotionally. it seems as thought i am already caught up in the year to come. from housemates and jobs to classes and training for xc - it can be difficult to consciously soak up every last bit of nottingham. i refuse to start an official countdown, but in my head, i keep thinking to myself... only six weeks... two of classes, a few of exams and papers, and then a week to say goodbye to the place that i have called home for a year. i will miss nottingham and the friends i have made here, but perhaps the more devastating part is leaving my eight other flatmates, knowing that i will not see the people that became my friends/family/colleagues for months... separation from those that can understand the experience only as a notter can. i struggle to imagine what this summer will really be like, not being able to share every moment, emotion, and wandering thought with one of eight of my closest people. and that is merely my flatmates. to be separated from a mentor/parental figure once again will certainly be different. mark and carol are our adoptive parents for the year. we have griped about them in regards to classwork and early departures for trips, but in the end, they have been there, guiding us through a challenging year, helping us to make the most of something that we could not grasp as naive 20 year olds coming to england in september. while i cannot stop thinking and obsessing over my return on june fifth, part of the obsession is wondering how we will go off to different cities and states to live our summer lives separately - for me theoretically, this summer will be much the same as last, but how can it be? after a year of travel abroad and a year of change, life in decorah will be welcomed, but yet i know i cannot imagine how small luther's home town will feel once i return. needless to say i am anxious to see family and friends, but undoubtedly apprehensive. perhaps walking up to the flat this afternoon to find all of our trees in full bloom and being welcomed back by three flatmates and mark and carol made all of these thoughts a bit more intense... that and a lack of sleep. either way, those are my musings on life as it stands now. i hope all is well in the states and more is to come about break... and pictures too.

good night, sleep tight, talk to you all soon...