(Hello Goodbye)

This has been a summer of hellos, of greetings: my first time living abroad, visiting international research libraries, working full time, really living on my own. I could say more, but I think most of you know how much this summer has changed my perspective. I need new glasses, I guess. The hellos were very hard at first; they always are. But once I got the hang of it, I began to like my adventures

It's now starting to be a summer of goodbyes. I just said goodbye to a dorm-mate who left to go back home to Austria. H., one of the closest friends while I've been here, is off to do research in Majorca. And tonight I walked to Holborn to have dinner with Owlfish, an internet friend who has fast become an embodied friend. Since she lives in London, I've had the pleasure of seeing her often this summer.

So the goodbyes are start finding new research projects that pique my interest. For one of the first times in my life, I've felt intellectually sated, which is an incredible feeling for me. I always have so many things running around my head at once, but since I've been here I've really honed my research skills and interests to the point that I can confidently say that I am becoming a full-fledged scholar!