Time for new adventures
By Stephany Harrington, Opinions Editor
Well, I guess this is it for the semester. And not only my semester, but my whole junior year at Gettysburg. I have definitely said this before, but the weeks of this semester have passed so fast, it really has been a whirlwind. I am really glad about it too, because there is nothing worse than when the work lingers so long that we just pray for any type of reprieve. No, this was sudden and unexpected. Summer, fall, and winter happened in the blink of an eye, and it’s December and there’s Christmas music playing on my iPod.
The sky has gotten grayer and the air colder. Walking to class, I can see my breath, and normally being that cold is unpleasant because we still have all of these responsibilities and papers and tests. Being reminded of the shortening days and the cooler temperatures just factors into our unwillingness to be at school any longer. We want to be snuggled in a blanket, surrounded by family, decorating the house for the holidays.
We got a taste for that over Thanksgiving, and now it’s making homework even harder. I cannot wait until I pack up my car and just leave. But at the same time I don’t want to be too hasty, because when I drive home, I won’t be coming back a month later. Instead, I will be embarking new adventures.
And I could not be happier. Although nerve-wracking to just move to another country and stay with a family of complete strangers, it is so exciting to have a change for the same-old Gettysburg. New people, new country, new continent. It shall be epic.
Photo Credit: blog.aroundcampus.com
So, although I have practically been trapped in the library all semester, I will be a little sad to leave it. I did spend most of my time there. I did work with my friends there. And then suddenly I will not see my friends anymore, and all that I will have left when I go abroad is a suitcase and my wits.
But, like going to college freshman year, it is finally time for me to leave the nest. I have to leave the comfort of the American lifestyle, and jump into something completely different. I will finally be able to use my German language skills in a practical setting and hopefully be able to communicate successfully. From the stories that I hear and the mere anticipation of it all, I already know that I will learn so much while I am over there.
To study abroad is such an amazing privilege, perhaps even a once in a lifetime experience. I certainly will not waste it. But because I will be savoring these new adventures, my time writing for The Gettysburgian is over, at least for now. I am sure I will have plenty to say once I return for my final year at Gettysburg.
The next time I step foot on campus, I will be a senior. But it feels way too soon to think about that, so I’m going to avoid it for now. I would much rather focus on what is waiting for me when I arrive in Germany. Just pure adventure.
