Here we go...

My father is an incredible human being. For those of you who are lucky enough to know him, this hardly comes as new information. Today, in an effort to put off studying for my Nobel Literature final and writing my 15 page capstone paper, I checked my email. Dad emailed me talking about the passing of time as he observed Bennies and Johnnies moving out and graduating from his office window after commencement. Yes. I'm sentimental. Very much so. This is what closed his email: "Where did those four months go? Where did those four years go? Where did those 40 years go? Was I not just standing in front of Uhler Hall only moments ago, arm in arm with Dad and Grandpa, diploma in hand, the graduate at last? Savor the moments that come to you, often unexpectedly, when you realize how quickly changes that once seemed to be so long in coming will actually occur."

I have absolutely no concept of where these months went. I have been looking back on my journal entries from the beginning of the trip, way back in Umeå, where I could not walk outside without wearing anything less than 4 or 5 layers of clothing and it got dark at 2pm. I made the observation in those first days that I could not think about being gone for several months- I had to take this new experience one day at a time or I would get far too overwhelmed with the amount of time I was to be gone. In very little time, the passing of days picked up and I no longer had to think of it that way. And now, here I am.

Last night we had our end of semester banquet. We all got dressed up and went in to town for dinner at a completely wonderful Greek/ Italian restaurant. (We had enough left on our bus card that we didn't have to walk into town- there was so much excitement.) After we came back, we gathered to give out end of the trip awards. Some of the awards included: the ever popular "best smile", "most likely to move back to Sweden", "favorite Swedish city" "best talent" "best hangout" "best storyteller" and so many more. We then watched a slideshow compiled of everyone's pictures- 4 months in 36 minutes. How surreal.

Today and tomorrow will be comprised of laundry, paper writing, studying and packing- for the last time.