In Which Laura Returns And Summarizes Her Hectic Life

Girlies I'm back!

Hello again friends!

JarPad is especially excited that I've come out of hiding.

    I came out of finals in one piece, only a little worse for the wear. And let me just say that all of your additions to the Round Story were lovely- Gracie, your ending was beautiful as always.
    The posts from last week put me in a festive mood, and so I'm going to copy everyone else and make a list of everything I love about Christmas:
1. Mom's baking. All of it.
2. Our crazy Italian nativity scene that spreads out from under our tree and across our little living room
3. Lovers kissing under the mistletoe
4. Christmas movies (White Christmas, The Holiday, It's a Wonderful Life, The Grinch, to name my favorites!)
5. Red cups from Starbucks. Hashtag white gurl probs.
6. Christmas cards and letters from loved ones.
7. New York City in December :)
8. SNOW.
9. Dressing up and eating ravioli on Christmas Eve.
10. "Let It Snow" by the always fabulous John Green.
11. The midnight candlelit service at church that welcomes Jesus into the world!
12. Picking out gifts for my favorite people.
13. The post-Christmas-Ege-Backus-get-together.
14. Family pictures on the stairs before we go to open presents on Christmas morning.
15. Christmas lights :)
16. Picking out and decorating the tree.
    These past couple of weeks have been extremely stressful, yet fun at the same time. There were finals and hysteria and late-night study sessions in empty classrooms and discreet corners of the library.There were also friends whose shoulders I could cry on and cuddle with at the end of a long day. There were ukulele jam sessions (yes, I have a uke, his name is John Green and I am learning to play Down In The Valley on him) and philosophical talks and sock-sliding Olympics in empty hallways. There was laughter shared over dinners in the cafeteria and in-depth discussions about bowel obstructions with my fellow nursing students. Then, there were goodbyes, as we all packed up and drove off to our various divisions of the tri-state area for a well-deserved winter break. And I know that come January I'll eagerly anticipate seeing those people whose friendships became real as my first semester of college drew to its necessary close.
    I just can't believe it's over- was I only there for a semester? It feels as if years have passed since that cloudy day in August when I sat nervously in the backseat of our decrepit minivan, surrounded by everything I owned in the world, my stomach churning as my parents drove me down streets I had made my own to the University I hadn't meant to fall in love with.
    I was so young, four months ago. I've experienced everything I missed for the first eighteen years of my life- peer pressure, tough professors, getting lost on the way to class, holding hands with a boy who thinks you're lovely. And how have I changed? I'm a little less afraid to swear. I know how to time manage. I went to counseling, and I feel like I can more adequately cope with everything wrong that wars within me.
    And yet, I am still me. I'm still the mom friend. I've still never been to a party (and don't plan on ever going, Lord Jesus protect me). I've still never kissed a boy. I'm still terrified of giving my heart away. I still put up a Berlin Wall between myself and any man who could possibly love me. I'm still my sassy, sarcastic self, only now I am more than okay with who I am.
    I did a few of those great and terrible things I dreamed of doing. I ran a 5K. I talked to a therapist. I passed my finals. I sang a duet at an open mic. I told someone wonderful how I felt about them. I grew in my relationship with God.
    God put me at Sacred Heart for a reason, and for that I am forever grateful. And now that I am home I can take a step back, breathe, recharge for what's to come next semester.
    I can't wait.
Mercy, I'll hear from you tomorrow!
--Laura :)