The Final Chapter .

At midnight tonight, I leave for South Carolina for the final time. This is the last semester of my undergraduate collegiate career, and I can hardly believe it. The time has flown by and it's truly amazing how fast it has gone. Looking back on the time, I can still remember the friends I made in my first freshman semester English class (who oddly enough ended up living in the apartment below me a few semesters ago). Life has a way of sneaking up on you, and rushing you through some things you want to enjoy.

More importantly though, it is almost certainly the case that the things around the corner will be even more extraordinary than you can imagine. A new setting, job, or experience will surely take the cake of your life's happenings.

For in all honesty, this is only the beginning. The close of one volume, and the start other a new one. I look forward to taking you friends through the next semester, and continue into life. I feel like we all know each other as close friends and will continue that through and through. Thanks for sticking with me all this time, and wish me safe travels over the next day.

beginnings and endings .

For many summer time is one of the greatest times of the year. For me, it's an odd part of the year, because it's simply the few months that bridge the gap from one year to the next. School year, that is. As much as I like not having to go to class and all the other nonsense and stress that takes place during school, I must admit that sometimes being around all the people my age is preferable to living under someone else's roof. Things are just different at college, as my brother will soon find out when he starts VT.

Barcelona: Day 119 : the end .

Well, I'm not sure if this is technically still a day that should count towards Barcelona -- but given that I spent half of it either in an airport or on a plane coming home from Barcelona, I'd say it does indeed count. It always blows my mind to be on a plane that long -- and to think that hey, this morning I was in Barcelona, and now I'm back in New Jersey. That sort of thing is insanity.

Barcelona: Day 107 : A Final Dinner .

Tonight we ate our final official dinner with Kathrin. In some ways it was a little disappointing because so few were there -- Ivan and Jordi, two of our teachers, were supposed to come and both were sick. Ryan decided to go to Bible study instead of the dinner. Other kids were stuck getting back from Switzerland and never showed up. However, dinner was a time to reminisce, and enjoy the company of the few people that we've spent these 4 months. It's amazing that already it has been that long. I can't believe that in just a week and a half I'll be heading home. The time has gone incredibly fast.

Barcelona: Day 100 : the Beginning of the End .

Finals began today. Finals as in, the final reviews for our Studio course. As per the usual, last night meant crunch time. I took an hour and a half nap from 5am to 630, and then got up and continued working. It's been just barely enough to get me through the day on what little sleep I had, and Ryan didn't even sleep at all. Our review may not have gone very well, but we presented the best that we could. We couldn't help that there was a very tough reviewer and he sort of set the tone for what everyone else said. We had struggled since the beginning of our project of how to tie every piece together, and that was what was noticed in the final product.