In six days I will be homeward bound. I almost cannot even fathom that an entire semester has passed since I last laid eyes on my home, Bear, and all that was familiar to me. I can honestly say that these past few months have simultaneously been some of the most challenging yet rewarding of my life.
Some days, when I am feeling rather lonely, I remember the fact that this time last year, attending St Andrews might have been a fantasy. The emotions and frustration that time conjures makes me appreciate every breath of Scottish air I draw. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to explore such a beautiful place while attaining a world-class education. After so many years of being dissatisfied with my high school education, St Andrews, at times, still feels like a fantasy. The students, the locals, the architecture, the classes, and the sea all blend in a glorious harmony that I get to call my life. It is almost as if I am living one of my stories, and I cannot believe it.
Though I have faced some challenges, such as initial homesickness, anonymity, loneliness, and challenging coursework, I could not have asked for a better first semester. Yet unfathomably, everyone asserts that your university experience gets better as the years pass. As ineffably happy as I am today, I do not know if my heart can accommodate any more wonderful experiences.
So I eagerly await what is to come. Yet unlike my high school self, I do not wish for today to end. Instead, I revel in each and every sunrise, smiling gleefully to myself that I am here. I could not have asked for a more rewarding and lovely experience as a St. Andrews student, and I am already ravenous for more.
To quote my favorite hobbit, “The road goes ever on and on…”
Originally written 16 December 2012
Maggie Sadler 