In the last week of college, my senior year, the end of year stress has set in. But the thing that's causing the most stress is the massive steel stage they are erecting in the Cistern. In just 19 days (maybe 18 if you're graduating on Friday). We will all be getting our fake diplomas, donning our white clothes, shaking hands and moving on. We've lived here for four years under the maroon and white colors of our college and it's time to say goodbye.
There have been setbacks in our time here. Fun Home and the removal of $50,000 of funding from the college almost made me believe I had entered a backwater university. I envisioned dueling banjos on the Maybank Hall porch and hicks in overalls invading our classrooms. There has been tension on campus including a failing college president and misrepresented bomb threats. And most importantly a devastating shooting that inflicted great sadness. Each time I saw the college and Charleston come back (except for the Fun Home thing, that's still ridiculous). The city comes together supporting each other, the college and friends.
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This place has become home. So much so that we complain about the tourists and the constant construction that hamper our tiny streets. We feel a connection not only with the college but the metropolitan area that holds it. The people here are warm and welcoming, almost to the point of annoyance. But, the constant kindness is something that I will not find back in New York and many of the other places I plan to travel. Let's be honest, we don't want to leave, at least I don't. Where else can you get vegan donuts, amazing seafood and impossibly buttery grits on the same street? This city helped bring us up, teaching us far more than the liberal arts.
So, how do we say goodbye to a city that seals our education? This past week I've been trying to work it out. I've spent more time on campus, rather than hiding away preparing for finals, absorbing the sights, sun and familiarity of the college. I think the best way to embrace this city and say goodbye is to experience as much of it as we can before we go. Permanently impress images of our campus in your memory, walk the bridge and go on ghost tours until our bucket list is fully checked off. Saying goodbye to this place is experiencing things for the last time. Then, we can drift off to our different cities in different areas of the country and live different lives.
Just like when we left to come here, we'll spend the next few months home sick. Remembering Charleston, our friends and the college we love. We'll cry over missing the silliest things, but it's OK. We'll soon use FaceTime for more than chatting with our parents, cut time out of our schedules for the friends that truly matter, and plot our return to the city streets and palm trees that now generate a feeling of home.
