Bound for Istanbul

I've been home for less than two weeks and I'm already anxious to return to school. Hold on, let me qualify that statement: I long to return to school so that I can see Centre students again. Facebook is simply not cutting it as a lifeline between my friends and me. I understand this might sound silly to you, but once you join the Centre family, other relationships cannot hold a flame to the ones you cultivate at Centre.

Meantime, I've been doing my best to cope with "Centre withdrawal" by staying busy with random errands until I begin work next week. I voted in the local primary election, (How cool is this: One of the lieutenant gubernatorial candidates is a Centre alum!), went to the driving range with my uncle to fix my golf swing, and went to get vaccinations to ensure my health in Turkey. To my surprise, my doctor was a Theta at Centre, just like me!

Once work starts the summer is going to fly by; August 10th will be here before I know it and I'll be on a flight across the Atlantic and Europe, landing in Istanbul. To prepare for my semester in Turkey I bought language-learning software and I can now count to ten in Turkish (just pretend you are impressed.) By the end of the summer I hope to be comfortable enough with my Turkish to get around Istanbul and Ankara safely on my own.

So this is it. I've officially reached the end of my freshman year at Centre. I hauled the final load of stuff from my dorm room and left Evans 104 empty. I embarrassingly admit that I became a little choked up and tears welled in my eyes as I closed the door for the last time. Memories from the year flashed through my head: basketball road trips, savoring sugar cookie moments with Jay, study breaks at the Grille with Janie Marie, and trips to Wendy's with Mike, Jeff, and Kyle. Sure, I remember the tests, papers, and mass amounts of reading, but the people I shared the past year with have left a far more permanent mark upon my life.

Ultimately, my freshman year at Centre taught me there is more to college than the knowledge gained in the classroom; college teaches you to do something with the knowledge. You begin the foundation to become a doctor, lawyer, financial advisor, teacher, politician or anything else that enables you to go...and change the world.

P.S. If you would like to read about my adventures in Turkey, check out my travel journal during the fall semester at the following address: http://www.centre.edu/web/admission/traveljournals/