Slow Down

      

        Well, the end is near. I remember an Alpha Phi senior giving me the “enjoy every moment; before you know it, you’ll be graduating” advice, and now I find myself giving the same advice to this years freshmen. It never really occurred to me that I only had a limited amount of time left, until I was standing in our preference ceremony during sorority recruitment last weekend. During the time when sororities look for their new members, the last day of "rush" is called “preference,” which is usually quite emotional for the active members. Listening to the last pref speeches that I will ever hear, I looked over to my best friend. We had started this journey through college together, and we will end it together. She had been the one that had forced me to rush. Rush had been the reason why I didn’t transfer back home. I remember calling my mom day in, day out about wanting to leave LMU and go back to Germany. But everything had changed. Now, my new life was coming to an end. I found myself tearing up, and I had a few of the girls in my chapter ask me if I was alright after the ceremony. I knew they didn’t really understand what was going through my head: they were just leaving LMU, but I wasn’t. I was leaving the United States. And leaving all the memories I have made behind as I embark on a 5,000 mile journey home - it seems unthinkable to me. But the truth is, it’s going to happen in four months time. I set up an entire other life over here; friends, boyfriend - Auf Wiedersehen (Goodbye). Judging by how homesick I was the first three months of college, I never thought that I would feel homesick about another city other than Dusseldorf, Germany. From Rotdorn strasse to Dunfield Avenue, from Bratwurst to Cheeseburgers - it was all different now. I am truly going to miss Los Angeles.

       A year ago, I would count down the minutes until class was over, wish for Friday to come sooner, or for Spring Break to come quicker. Well, I got my wish - time moved faster than I ever wanted it to. Now, I find myself wanting my life to slow down. I wake up early and go to sleep late, so I can get the best and the most out of every day. After all, not everyone can say that they spent the best years of their life in the city of angels as an international student. 

Carpe Diem. 

- Beatrice