Endings. And Beginnings too!

I'm sitting here in Christie Room 201 and it is my last night in a Nyack dorm. While I should be studying for a test I have at 8 am tomorrow and memorizing facts about Hindu philosophies and Zoroastrian beliefs, I am instead writing my first blog post. You can't blame me for getting a little sentimental, right? And avoiding studying isn't such a terrible thing either. I hope.

Anyway, as I sat on my bed, knitting instead of studying, and looked at all the half-packed bags, my i-Pod began playing a song about not wanting to grow up. While I hate good-byes and avoid being overly sentimental, this song made me reflect. I have been somewhat sad about all the lasts and endings of the past few weeks as I finish up my college career here at Nyack. I love making lists so I've decided to do just that. The first list:

Reasons I am Sad for the End of Nyack:

• Leaving the friends I have made over the past 3 years. I have learned more from the relationships I found at Nyack than anything else. I will always have a special place in my heart for my Nyack friends.
• Leaving the spiritual atmosphere of Nyack. Going to chapel several times a week and being able to worship with so many other people is unique. I have loved that my professors not only taught practical information but they taught us spiritual lessons too.
• Leaving the beauty of this campus. Nyack is gorgeous in the springtime! Everything is green and beautiful and the air literally smells of lilacs. I will miss the Hudson River despite the many times I cursed it for its wintery winds.
• Leaving the student phase of my life. As much as I am THRILLED to be finished with school, there is a part of me that fears growing up. It's a small part. But as I think about adult things like health insurance, paying school loans, and who will do my taxes while I'm in Uganda, I am realizing that I have more to learn about being a real grown-up :)

Ok...on to list #2. If I only remained sentimental about Nyack, it would be too hard to leave. So...

Things I Will Not Miss About Nyack:

• The food! Oh dear. The food here at Nyack is legendary and the topic of many conversations. I am grateful that the Nyack Cafeteria has sustained me physically throughout the past 3 years. But it has also given me a whole new appreciation for good food. Nyack Caf food, I will not miss thee!
• Dorm life. Communal hall girl's bathrooms can become gross. Quickly. Enough said.
• Winter. As much as I love Nyack's beauty in the spring, I am more than excited to move to a warmer location where winter is basically non-existent. Snow is pretty but it is cold. And even when there isn't snow at Nyack, it is cold and gray and makes me beg for the sun.
• Academics! I love learning. But, the idea of not having to write a paper, read a textbook, or research anything because a syllabus tells me to is wonderful! I am going to read a book that I choose this summer. And it will be entirely for fun and I can take as long as I want to read it. It will be wonderful :)

So as Nyack is coming to an end in my life, I am finding reasons to cry and reasons to dance. Tomorrow when I finish my last final, I think it will take quite a bit of effort to not scream and dance in the front of the room. I will try to restrain myself.

In addition to Nyack ending, I have so many new beginnings to look forward to! God has placed an incredible opportunity before me and I could not be more excited to move to Uganda. I am hoping that support raising will provide me with the time I need to adjust and move smoothly into this next chapter of my life. I have a bad habit of being afraid of the unknown. I like to have my ducks in a row. But as I prepare for the next step, I am excited to see all that God has to teach me and how he will work out all the unknowns. He is faithful and loves me--whether I am finishing, beginning, or somewhere in between.