Talk about beautiful. 

Something easy: I think I have forced myself to get caught up in all the "doing" so that I wouldn't get caught up too much in the thinking. Because, in all honesty, when I do a lot of thinking I end up pretty sad and lonely. 

Something hard: not becoming consumed by wishing for the past to come back. 

No matter how hard you wish, no matter how many evenings stars you see, the past is the past. I think I have an especially hard time dealing with this concept. Because really, why does time have to pass at all? What distinguishes this moment from the next other than I don't know what the next moment holds for certain? 

Being here has been a lot of ups and downs. There are ups when I find new acquaintances, when I take a moment to appreciate the beauty in the world around me, when I'm laughing or joking around. But there are also downs: when I find myself alone in my dorm, when I lose acquaintances, when I think too much about all the lovely people I miss, and especially when I realize all those people are together and I am not there. Sadness will subside, and I will grow accustomed to life here, but I know I will always feel like I'm missing something, someone to hold and hug and love. 

But mostly I have realized that I don't want my college experience to embody what I have experienced in this week alone. I can wish all I want for the past to come back, but it won't. So here goes my attempt at shaping this semester, this experience here, into one that reflects who I am, and who I want to be. 

I'm not sure what that entails, but the only way to move is forward. 

So for now... Shosholoza. 

Keep moving forward.

And a few photos of the week according to my iPhone...