One year gone

Extreme sadness, extreme exhaustion, extreme happiness.
What a roller coaster.
Being home is wonderful.
Seeing family and friends (and sleeping in my own bed) is indescribably good.

But what of the life I had for the past nine months? My heart has expanded. Grown big enough to love a second family of 350 students from around the world.
It is impossible to explain it. How in a few short months everything can change so completely and yet still be the same.

At 10 pm (British time) on Monday May the 24th I said goodbye.
Goodbye to friends, to housemates, to family.
My heart feels a bit like Swiss cheese. But the holes are filled with beautiful memories of laughter, of tears of understanding.

Atlantic College is a strange place. It is amazing and terrifying and confusing and exhilarating and frustrating and hilarious and beautiful and overwhelming and inspiring.
In August I get to go back.
But it will be different. Not just because of the new rules or different rooms, but because half of my family won't be there to welcome me back with huge hugs and outrageous stories of summers spent on the beach.

AC is defined by the people who are there.
And half of my definition is gone.
It is a terrifying thought that I will be expected to fill the shoes left by those who have left.
But hopefully I will be inspired by the same people to reach new heights.

The second years are ingrained into the fabric of the school and therefore have become a bit of who I am.
For that I am thankful.

I don't know what next year holds.
But I do know that I have anchors who will hold me firm.
How lucky am I?

However in this moment I am home.
And that is a beautiful thing!