It’s getting to that time where the work is piling up and classes are winding down. This is hard enough as it is—the prospect of a relaxing summer is very nice, but it also means that the time is approaching for me to be leaving. The semester has flown by, and the list of things that I’ve needed to do here is almost complete. Getting a picture with Bucky, a bonfire at Picnic Point, shooting guns, the Wisconsin Holy Trinity of brats, cheese and beer and of course, the entertainment of the Mifflin Street Block Party.
The worst thing, however, is that I’ve made some of my best friends here, but now I have to leave them. That’s the curse of study abroad, I guess: finding kindred spirits so far away and having to tear yourself away from them. They are some of the loveliest people I have ever met, and I love all of them dearly. I’m trying to cherish every moment I have here and make it last, but the thought of leaving keeps creeping in. So I’m focusing on the good times we had and making sure I make the most of every second I have left.
A downside is my academic studies have taken a backseat to spending time with people. I should be feeling stressed about finals. I see that the stress is affecting the people around me, but all I’m focused on is dragging them away and having as many memorable experiences as possible. I may have skipped a lecture or two to have lunch a couple times, and I also might have spent the majority of class making plans for the weekend. But, the way I see it, the most valuable times are not the ones that are spent staring at a screen while someone talks at you. It’s the ones where you’re laughing with friends, wandering around the piers near the lake at night, roasting marshmallows at picnic point and playing pointless games around a crowded table.
I’ve also forgone sleep quite a bit thanks to this mindset. When there’s a limited amount of time, my philosophy is that it shouldn’t be wasted sleeping. Instead, there should be Doctor Who marathons until 5 a.m., movies until 3 a.m. on weekdays and absolutely no concept of sleep whatsoever on the weekends. Surprisingly, I haven’t yet felt any real effects from sleep deprivation, but I’m anticipating the crash. I just hope it doesn’t happen during finals.
Believe me, this isn’t usually how I treat schoolwork. I’m usually a relatively good student, starting papers earlier than the night before they’re due and studying for more than an hour before I have an exam. But fortunately, they made a wonderful exception in my study abroad program. The credits and marks do not affect my grade at home, and all I have to do to make this semester count is pass all my classes. This seems to me like a very good reason to not let work take precedence over the good times I have with people. The times I remember here are not going to be those that I spent alone in my room studying, they’re going to be the ones that I can tell stories about.
I’m going to remember the time when I found out how much sugar people put into Kool-Aid. I’ll remember making a chain of people, pulling and pushing each other as we walk down the lakeshore path. I’ll remember people’s faces as they try to strategize in a midnight game of mafia. I’ll remember tickle fights in the Liz Waters parlor. I’ll remember the spicy warmth of cheesebread, fresh from the farmers’ market. I’ll remember the feeling of the sun on my face and the grass underneath me while lying on Bascom hill on a warm afternoon. And I’ll remember the people, my friends, their smiles, their laughs and their voices—even as I miss them with all my heart. So I guess this is study abroad in Wisconsin. The best time of my life.
Feeling sentimental as the semester comes to a close? Reminisce with Jessica about 3 a.m. runs to Qdoba at jessicakregan@gmail.com.
