Savoring Every Moment

The whirlwind of activity has yet to die down here on Mount Saint James, it’s difficult to snatch even an hour of free time! The first weekend of school was a fun and successful one. I helped move first years into Hanselman and the best part of the day was carrying a huge suitcase into my freshman year room (Hanselman 213, the vault, in case you were wondering). My misty eyes and words of adoration seemed to terrify the girl I helped move in but hopefully her year will be as good as mine was! Freshman First Night was also a success, I learned how to make smoothies, how NOT to slide down a giant inflatable slide and how to warn someone before dropping an entire barrel of ice…all great life skills I am sure. The Mass of the Holy Spirit, one of my favorite Holy Cross traditions, was held indoors for the first time in my four years here but that made it even more powerful in my opinion. Colleen mentioned it in her blog and though it was EXTREMELY hot in there, I was deeply moved by the parent’s blessing and memories of my own first day at Holy Cross came back. Since this entry has been a little too nostalgic, I’ll work my way back to the present.

Some highlights of the first week of school and classes include giving a tour to new faculty (with fellow blogger Colleen Curran of course) and starting work again in the Religious Studies office. I also cooked for the first time in my apartment and though my mom warned me not to burn anything, I made it through grilled cheese and mac and cheese just fine! I’m taking baby steps, I plan on being a 5 star chef by the end of the year! We also had a very successful CAB retreat and the first few CAB events have been definite successes. Interviewing begins next week and I can’t wait, I have already done some observations and I can’t wait to meet potential Holy Crossers…I have definitely been missing the interaction because my first tour of the year was empty (which was probably a good thing because there was a flash flood warning and thunder, but it would have been an adventure!)

Classes have started as well and I think I am in for a lot of work, a lot of learning and a VERY interesting semester. I am taking two English classes and two History classes for the third time in my college career but I wouldn’t have it any other way. For my English classes I am taking 19th Century Novel, which starts with Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice…you can’t get much better! I am also taking Rhetoric with my advisor Professor Bizzell, a class I have wanted to take for three years. For my History classes I am taking Imperial Russia and The Age of Jackson, opposite ends of the spectrum to be sure but both seem very interesting.

The year is off to a great start and it seems to keep getting better! Instead of pictures I thought I would send along the link to the move-in day video, I didn’t make the cut but lots of CABies did!

http://www.holycross.edu/publicaffairs/features/2008-2009/class_of_2012

There is no denying it now, I am definitely a Senior! I moved into my apartment Thursday and am still working at unpacking before my other three roommates arrive. It’s been great walking around campus and seeing all my friends, many of whom I have not seen in over a year because they were abroad!

The next few days will actually be devoted to Freshmen, hopefully it will take my mind off being a Senior! On Friday I am going to the Leadership Luncheon and meeting with the CAB E-board to discuss ideas for next year, our fall retreat and the upcoming concert on September 1st with Pete Francis, the drummer from the band Dispatch. Saturday is what I like to call my "7 AM to 2 AM marathon". I have to get up bright and early to help move Freshmen in. For any incoming Freshmen reading this, get ready for a fun day because you can all sit back and relax while we carry your stuff in! I still remembering pulling up to Hanselman and having students and a few professors swarm my car… my things were carried in before I even had a chance to touch them! It seems fitting that I will be stationed at Hanselman this year, it seems like I have come full circle in a way. Feel free to say "Hello!"…unless I am buried under a futon, TV, shoe rack or desk chair in which case I may not be able to reply!

After moving people in I am running over to the Mass of the Holy Spirit, the first mass on campus for Freshman, their families and the Holy Cross community. It’s a beautiful mass, a fair number of tears are shed by parents and students alike, and I always love Greeting at it. Hopefully the rain holds off so it can be outside!

After mass is a CAB dinner then our first event of the year, Freshman First Night! The Special Committee always puts on the event, complete with inflatable obstacle courses, dancing, cotton candy and a Hawaiian themed cake! It’s always a fun event and us CABbies will be there until the wee hours of the morning making sure it goes perfectly.

The next couple of days will certainly be hectic, but as more and more friends arrive I am sure I will be able to cope with anything!

I figured since I just returned from my wonderful “vacation from vacation” in Disneyworld, I should probably start updating again, especially now that preparations for school are underway!

This summer has been a work-filled yet restive one. May Term was such a fast paced and exciting experience that it felt great to get into a regular routine and relax a little bit. I have been working at the library almost everyday this summer and it has been such a joy. I have started incorporating skills I learned at Holy Cross, especially in CAB, to my job and was able to help coordinate an event for a popular book release as well as talk about my travels with the patrons that saw my postcards on the wall. I really could not ask for a better job or better co-workers, it is fun to go to a job every day where you can read picture books aloud on a whim, have stamps of Curious George all over your hands, and become skilled at answering the question “My child loved Harry Potter…what do I do now?” (you wouldn’t believe how often I get that one!) I attached some pictures of the Forbes Library Children’s room to give you an idea of where I spent the majority of my summer (the big fish is named Paco, he is the mascot of the children’s room!)

I had other fun little events this summer as well. I was able to make it out to Providence to visit with fellow blogger Amy Mullen and my friend Lexie, both of whom studied abroad. I thought it might be strange, especially because I had not seen Amy since September when she visited me but it was amazing how quickly everything came back to normal…friendship transcends oceans obviously! Amy, Jen and Abby, all of whom studied in Spain last year also made it out to Northampton for the sidewalks sales and it was great to show them around even if we were interrupted by one of a the many thunderstorms we have had this summer. Disneyworld was another great part of my summer; I had not been since I was in 8th grade and believe it or not I enjoyed it even more this time! As my mom said, “It was as magical as when you were younger, only now you have stamina!” This was certainly true and I had a great time reliving my childhood with my family.

With less 3 days left before I go back to school on the 28th in preparation for Freshman move in day, First Night, and the Mass of the Holy Spirit, I am having a hard time believing this summer is almost over and an even harder time believing I am truly a senior! Excitement is the overriding emotion however and after long email exchanges and phone conversations with my roommates, I think we have the apartment planned out and I can’t wait to get back to school!

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I am very happy to say that I added pictures to all of my previous entries so make sure to check back and see the visuals I tried to feebly describe throughout my stay in Europe! I did take, much to my parent’s shock, 900 pictures but I am working on narrowing them down to ones that I definitely want to print, it is nice to know though that I will have A LOT of pictures to remember my trip by.

This past week I spent a lot of time working at the library again and reconnecting with old friends in Northampton. One of my friends leaves for France next week and another just returned from South Africa. It is incredible the experiences you are given while in college, both to see the world and to learn about yourself at school. Speaking of people coming and going, I am ecstatic to report that one of my best friends (and fellow blogger) Amy Mullen returned safely to the US on Wednesday and (even more exciting) I will be visiting her on Sunday! It is great to have people home and senior year is looking better and better!

How do you come to terms with the experience of a lifetime coming to an end? With great difficulty, let me assure you! The flight home last Saturday evening was difficult, the in flight entertainment did not work and halfway through we hit a patch of turbulence that scared me so much that the stranger sitting next to me told me to breathe (it helped!)…I really hate flying!

Now that it has been a couple of weeks since I was in Luxembourg, I have had time to reflect on my experience abroad and honestly I can’t find one bad thing to say about it. Going into Junior year was rather difficult because most of my friends had chosen to Study Abroad for the entire year. I was tempted to as well, and Holy Cross has a great program, but I knew that a whole year was not for me. I don’t regret my decision at all; I was able to take my favorite classes of my college career so far, gain leadership experience and have a great time through CAB, and I made a bunch of new friends while still keeping in touch with my friends abroad. The Luxembourg Program rounded out this experience in that it gave me the opportunity to study abroad, even though it was just for a month. I went to 5 different countries, traveled by air, water and land, took 900 (no exaggeration) pictures and got to study History in a totally new and unique atmosphere. The smile that was plastered on my face throughout the trip has definitely not gone away and I am so grateful to my parents, for letting me go on the trip, Uwe the director of the program, for being so organized and thoughtful, Professor Green for teaching us at a level I have never experienced before and to everyone who made the trip a total success!

That being said, I will add a bunch of pictures to my previous entries that coincide with the day trips, weekend trips, and general fun I had abroad. This entry has a bunch of pictures of Mondorf, including our rooms and classrooms as well as the town itself. I hope you enjoy them!

This week has been a great one, I am totally back into the swing of things on this side of the Atlantic! I worked everyday at the library which has been such a joy, I loved sharing the pictures with my boss Jude and co-workers Stephanie and Emily and was thrilled with my surprise birthday party that they threw me! I also got to hang out with my friends from home, unfortunately my friend Anthony left for Rome just as I got back so there was a shortened reunion with him. I can’t wait for the rest of my summer to really get started, Europe is hard to beat though!

These past couple of days have absolutely flown by and I am amazed that I am going to be on a plane headed home TOMORROW.

Yesterday I went with Professor Green and the rest of the History class to Strasbourg in France. On the way we visited the Convent of St.Odile which was in the Vosges Mountains. There was an impressive view of the surrounding towns and you could even see the Black Forest in the distance in Germany! We made a few stops in the wine villages of the Alsace region; Professor Green let us walk around and take in the sights. We had been learning a lot about the region in terms of the tension between the French and the Germans preceding the World Wars and it was interesting that even though the street signs were in French, the region was decidedly German.

Strasbourg, with its canals and huge Cathedral, was great as well. We went into the Cathedral and took a canal tour through the city. It was supposed to rain all day but we didn`t see a single drop! We had dinner at a VERY authentic French restaurant called "Pasta and Pizza" then made our way back to Mondorf. It was our last and, in my opinion, best field trip.

Today was our last full day and after a review session for the History class we all got "pretty" as Uwe says and took multiple group and class pictures. After that we went to the best restaurant in Luxembourg (no sarcasm here, it`s literally the best-5 star and everything!) run by Lea Linster, an award winning chef. We had a gourmet meal, complete with multiple courses and never ending drinks. It was fantastic but I am in a "food coma," I ate far too much! It was worth it though!

I want to say a quick congratulations to all the Seniors who graduated in the past week from Holy Cross. I will miss you all so much and the school won`t be the same without you! The even scarier thought is that that will be ME next year!

My next entry will be from home-I can`t believe it!

About 5 years ago my family and I took a European trip to France, Germany, Switzerland and Iceland and Paris was by far my favorite part. I remember sitting on the train leaving Paris and thinking "I hope I can go back there someday". Well, I MADE IT!

As I watched the sun set on my 20th year (I am an English major, you will have to deal with the poetics), I had NO idea what would be in store for me in the hours to come. At midnight, I answered a knock on my door only to find Kara and Kristen singing "Happy Birthday" and bringing me a great card. I have never been around Holy Cross friends for my birthday and I have to say…they sure know how to celebrate! The next morning I opened my door to find gifts from friends as well as a box of chocolates from the director of the program Uwe, he takes such good care of us and is so thoughtful! The birthday wishes kept coming, but it was definitely eclipsed by the fact that we would be in Paris that afternoon!

The high speed train to Paris was great, we arrived at 3:30 and got to our hostel by 4. That left plenty of time to go to Sacre Coeur and see our first view of the Eiffel tower from on top of the hill in the Montmartre district. After that, we grabbed a quick dinner then made our way to the Louvre (which is free on Fridays for people under 26). I met my friend from home Laura there and it was great to catch up while seeing the best artwork in the world. After the Louvre we went towards Notre Dame and met up with Jimmy Doan who was also celebrating his birthday on May 30th. We had been planning to meet in Paris for months and our dream was finally realized! It was probably the best birthday of my life and it only got better as the weekend continued.

The next day was insanely busy, I am still reeling from the fact that we were able to see the Eiffel tower (everyone took the stairs, VERY IMPRESSIVE but not for me, my fear of heights prevented me from doing that one), the Arc de Triomphe (which I did climb), the Champs Elysees, and the district in between. We also took a boat cruise along the Seine river, luckily the weather was great! That night, we went out for our birthday dinner at a relatively fancy (we are, after all, poor college students) restaurant then made our way to the Eiffel Tower. We sat on the lawn and watched the lights come on, every hour there is a fantastic light show where the tower literally sparkles. We took lots of pictures and I cannot wait to upload them when I get home so that everyone can see them!

Sunday was our last day. We went to Notre Dame then walked to the Pantheon and along the bank of the Seine where artists and book sellers were setting up their booths. I bought a print and posters that I fell in love with, then made my way back to Sacre Coeur to buy more souvenirs and show Jimmy the area because he had not seen it the night before. We caught the train back to Luxembourg with no problems and managed to make our way back home before collapsing into bed.

Paris was one of the most tiring weekend of my life, but also one of the best. I couldn`t ask for better people to spend time with and it was great that I was able to meet up with Laura and Jimmy. This time as the train pulled out of Paris I wasn`t thinking IF I would go back, but WHEN. I can`t keep away from that city and the memories from this program and especially that trip will stick with me for a long time.

Amsterdam was fantastic! We left Luxembourg on Friday and arrived, after a 5 hour train ride, in Amsterdam. Friday night we decided to go to the Van Gogh museum which was very interesting. I gained a new respect for him to be sure especially seeing the progress of his work from rural scenes to the more experimental art he attempted in his later years. We made the fatal mistake of not eating dinner before hand though so we were all famished by the end of the museum trip. We got our first taste of European fast food that night…a little bit on the gross side I must admit.

The next day we woke up early to go to the Anne Frank House before the line got too long. I never read the book (it is on my mile long summer reading list, lucky for me I work in a library!) but it was still a powerful experience. We had been discussing the Holocaust in class the week before and seeing the house where she was hidden away and seeing the video of her father discussing his daughter was very powerful. Amsterdam itself was very pretty, it reminded me a lot of Bruges with the same architecture and canals. We took another canal tour and went out towards the North Sea, it was such a gorgeous day!

Amsterdam was a pleasant surprise, I had known very little about it before the trip but was very impressed with how beautiful it was. My one complaint: The bicycles! It was absolutely insane walking around the city because you had to watch out for trams, cars and ESPECIALLY bikes. The people riding the bikes would ring the bells when they were about 2 feet away and you had to literally jump out of the way because they did not slow down. I think I will have nightmares about that sound for weeks!

Another great weekend but I have to admit, the weekend I am looking forward to the most is next…PARIS!!!

We have had a lot of down time this week so I actually get to use one of the two computers here! I re read the past few entries and have discovered that they were definitely lacking in the quality aspect. It is difficult to blog and write emails to friends and family all within a half hour block of time. I would therefore like to apologize for a few things..

1. I am staying in a town called Mondorf les Bains, not Mordorf, though both sound very cool
2. I am still having problems finding the apostrophe key so bear with me
3. I received an email from my mom today expressing dismay over my use of the word amazing. She so kindly sent me at least a dozen synonyms for it so I plan on using those accordingly

Poor grammar aside, the sun is finally shining here in Luxembourg! This week is our most academically challenging according to Professor Green who teaches my history class and I would have to agree. Learning WWII in 5 days is certainly a difficult task, tomorrow should be great though, we are learning about Fascism and how it appealed to the German people before WWII then we are going to Trier, Germany! Before my trip, when I told people I was going to Luxembourg I usually got two questions: Are you going to Bruges (check that one off the list) and are you going to Trier…I can’t wait! The weather is supposed to be nice throughout the week and weekend which is good because I plan on doing a lot of walking around in both Trier and Amsterdam.

I am attaching a few pictures that my friend Lexie took on our trip to Bruges and Brussels. She is studying at Oxford for the year and was able to meet up with us! Most are of Bruges but there is one of the Brussels skyline and of the garden in Mondorf that is absolutely gorgeous.

It is odd to think that we have only been here about a week, yet I still can’t believe how fast time is moving!

I am having an amazing time in Europe! My class has been amazing so far especially because we get to see everything we are learning about. For example, we learned about the Battle of Verdun on Wednesday, then actually got to go there to see the remains of the fortifications, the museum and the rows of crosses. Studying in Europe is a unique experience to say the least!

This past weekend a group of about 17 Holy Cross students went to Belgium. We started in Bruges which I absolutley fell in love with, it was so medieval and cute. We took a canal tour (in the rain) and spent a lot of time walking through the main square and exploring the side streets. I am happy to report I ate 2 waffles while I was there — true Belgian waffles! After Bruges we went to Brussels which was very different from the small towns we were used to. Brussels is a big city with interesting contrasts, there are gothic cathedrals with apartment complexes next door. We wandered around the main square then made our way to the outskirts of town to see the Palace of Justice and get a panoramic view of the city.

I have to apologize in advance, I don’t think I will be able to upload an photos for the trip because we don’t have access to laptps but the minute I get home I will post a TON of pictures!

I am VERY tired, but it is a good tired — it means I am enjoying Europe to the fullest!