Time to go?

Well it is official... the semester is over. I had my exam yesterday (which I am confident that I did pretty well!) and my bags are almost packed. And now upon the eve of my departure, I reflect upon the memories of the semester... the things I miss at home and the things I will miss when I leave. I have very mixed emotions and have a pit in my stomach.

This semester was amazing. I think I will reflect upon what I learned in my next blog, which I will write when I get home. Instead, I will try to be positive and think about what I miss from home so I do not have to think about leaving these amazing people and wonderful town.

First of all, I really miss the people at home. Some more than others, and so I will not name names so nobody feels excluded. You know who you are anyway.

I really miss open space. The freedom of a back yard or grass in front of the campus building is refreshing. I miss being able to walk on grass or pick wild flowers. I miss trees that grow in yards and boulevards.

I miss the US dollar. When I get home, I will think everything is so cheap. The pound really hurts, but I still do have money left over, so I guess it wasn't horrible. Still, I look forward to not having to double the price in my head.

I miss the Mississippi River. Although I frequently visit the Thames, the Mississippi is my home and school river. It is a close friend.

I miss Minnesota in general. The twins, the Packer trash talk, the right way of talking... People in England and from the East and West coast of the US just don't know how to talk! Just kidding. I have become very aware of American accents. When I'm here and hear an American...I yell out, "That's an American!"

I miss the laxness of our society. I miss the annoying loud cars and ipod earphones. I miss the business of the St Cloud campus.

I miss Target and other stores that I can buy a variety of items for fairly cheap. It is so convenient to have a big store and one-stop shopping.

I miss American portions of food and American food in general. I think I have gained weight here because we don't eat very often and then our portions aren't good so eat a lot of snacks. The meat here is different, and I just want American beef. I miss American pop and American produce.

Looking at all this, I really don't miss any of it too much (besides the people that is). I am forcing myself to look at it like this. I will miss the culture here so much. I like the idea of going to a pub for an hour. I like walking to a kabab stand at night. I like that I live in the same buildings as my best good friends. I like the convenience of always having them here. I do miss my phone, though... things would be a lot easier if I could call people.. especially Jonathan. I will miss watching British TV and chatting with our junior dean. I will miss the British lectures and system of education. I will miss public transportation. I will miss the business of Cornmarket Street and all the musicians on the street. I will miss the spontaneous planning of a day or weekend trip; the easiness of going to another country for cheap! And I will miss saying that I am a University student and all the privileges that go with that. I will miss learning of the history of Oxford.. I still know so little! And of course, I will miss the friends I have here.

I came to Oxford unsure of how I would like it socially. I was surprised and happy to find the people I now call my friends. I first bonded with Hannah, then Kristen, then Rashelle, Brittany, and Sean. My roommate, Sarah, has also been amazing and I enjoy all the time we spend talking in our room. We have had our ups and downs, our fights and drama. But we are all still friends now. There is tension and sometimes, especially recently, I think it is probably a good idea that we will have a bit of separation... things got a little overwhelming with just issues that I don't need to get into. Anyway, as we pack our stuff, I can't help but be terribly sad. It doesn't seem real that we will be 500-1000 miles apart in just a day. Each of these people have given me something that I cannot explain. We have our fun and inside jokes, and underneath there is support that makes me know that we will always keep in touch. This support and these friendships are different from any I have had before; I am trying to watch my words so I don't offend anyone, at home or here. Just know that this was not what I expected, but I love it. And I know that things will always change, but I love the time we had together so much and am so thankful that God put people like you into my life :)

So this is probably enough of a blog for now. I will reveal the deeper issues of what I learned later. For now, I must soak up the last 14 hours I have in Oxford.