Quad break

There are a few reasons why I'm writing this post right now: 

1) It's quad break. We didn't have class on Thursday or Friday because of midterms last week so this is technically the half-way point in the semester! And I haven't written anything about the semester so far...

2) I have two papers and a midterm due tomorrow, then a huge research paper due on Tuesday (that I haven't started). This is procrastination!

3) A year ago, I was accepted into the Orvieto program (like... WHAT!). Which of course makes me think of Orvieto and this blog and the fact that I've abandoned it.

Anyways, I'm not sure how to sum up this "quad" or the past two months in one blog post, but pretty much my time is consumed by three classes, an internship, babysitting, working in the chapel office, working in the writing center... that's pretty much it. Oh wait - field hockey aka the thing that takes up most of my week! Seriously. I always forget that during the fall semester, field hockey is sometimes my first priority even though I guess being a student should be my first priority. A theme of this past semester is my impatience with everyone who seems to be having fun and/or has free time. I get stuck behind slow people on the sidewalk and I'm immediately like "WHO HAS TIME TO WALK AT SUCH A SLOW PACE" as I'm hustling along with my backpack, field hockey bag, stick, as I'm sorta in a nice outfit but sorta in practice clothes as well. Believe me, it's a sight. This happened again this weekend when everyone went home from Wednesday night to Sunday night and people were like "Megan, are you going home this weekend?" to which I replied "No, I have a game on Saturday so we'll have practice and then go to the game." But really, inside my head, I'm like "MUST BE NICE TO HAVE THE LUXURY OF GOING HOME FOR FIVE DAYS!

Anyways, it's a good thing people can't actually read my mind (although I'm exposing it on the internet right now) because as you can see, my thoughts have been aggressive when people have free time or at least enough time to strolllllllll along the sidewalk while I'm trying to speed walk by them without hitting them with my stick (or maybe I'm trying to hit them with my stick - you'll never know).

Well, now that I've revealed how much of an awful person I am, I'd say it's time to actually go do my work (because who has the time to write for fun??????). Just kidding. Also, my new best friend this semester is my iCalender (as shown below). Kelly always makes fun of me because whenever she looks at my computer, I'm always adding stuff, deleting stuff, or simply reorganizing my calendar. It's so helpful though!

As you can see, Mondays are awful and Thursdays are the best (usually filled with lots of sleeping, Netflix, and bothering my friends who have class). 

Ciao from Gordon

I close my eyes and I'm walking down Corso Cavour. 

I close my eyes in chapel with other Gordon students, ending chapel with the doxology and suddenly I'm back in the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome - in the deepest corner of the tombs, singing the words with our group. Karen's there, Prof Doll too. The small nun holding the keys to this secret cave is holding a lantern, closing her eyes too as we sing praise God from whom all blessings flow. 

I open my eyes and I'm back in chapel. I look around to the row in front of me and see Becky and Laura, I move quickly toward them as we're dismissed and students pour out of the chapel. I ask them, "Do you remember? Do you remember that time in the catacombs?" They respond, nodding together: "Yes, yes, yes, we remember. We remember that."

I close my eyes on the field hockey bus to an away game. Headphones in, listening to the playlist that Prof Doll made us for Disegno - my favorite playlist to listen to on the train. I'd close my eyes, lean my head against the window and blink open to watch the Italian countryside, sheep, houses, hill towns. But I open my eyes and see highways, cars three times the size of Italian Fiats.

At home in my on-campus apartment, Jenna runs in the door and tells me to come quick! We go to Becky and Laura's apartment, sit close together on her bed, and listen to a recording of the last chapter meeting. Linking arms, listening. My eyes close and I'm in the monastery sala, ready for lunch but wanting to listen to Prof Doll's words.

How can my home in Orvieto be so far away from here, yet I close my eyes and it's all I can think about? Even though I'm here at Gordon, I find that it's with me always. Missing this place & these people!