"No llores porque ya se terminó... sonríe, porque sucedió."

Even though they used different languages, both Dr. Seuss and Gabriel Garcia Marquez said "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." This has been one of the best semesters of my life, and even though I get to spend the spring exploring Europe and growing in so many ways, I know that I will miss Bloomington.

I had the time of my life this semester, and I can't help but smile when I think about all of the wonderful people I spent time with and all of the exciting things that I did. My roommates, the IU swim club, my wonderful boyfriend, and many others have made this semester such a blessing. Going to football games, going to swim practices and social events, and spending lazy days on the couch with my roommates were the absolute best parts of my semester. The funny thing is that no matter how stressed I actually was this semester, I can only really remember the good times. I guess the lesson is to not worry about the small things because in the end everything always turns out alright.

Emily went back home today. She was such a wonderful roommate, and I will miss her incredibly when I am away. I am grateful that she put up with my messiness and that she was always willing to give me a quick ride to anywhere I needed to go. One of my favorite things about Emily is her creative side. She decorated both the wall behind us and the Christmas tree. I also truly admire how much she enjoys life. Every holiday she would spend time with one of her best friends, Jessica, making some sort of craft. On Halloween, I got to decorate pumpkins with them. They also made a ginger bread house for Christmas. I just really like how they go out of their way to celebrate because it shows that they can take the time to appreciate the little joys in the world.

I put my Indiana Basketball Sticker on my car today. I love it so much. Basketball is definitely something that I will miss when I'm abroad, but I am also excited to become a huge soccer fan. I can't wait to go to games and experience the thrilling sports atmosphere.

Jason and I studied together at the Herman B. Wells Library for the last time this year. He's supported me so much this year both with going through difficult classes here at IU and as I prepare to go abroad. I really am so lucky that he treats me as well as he does. I can't wait to see him over break and am so glad that we are keeping in touch next semester. (He looks sad because he was making his studying face."

 

Tonight at practice, we did fun relays. We swam backwards in the first relay. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of that one. It was funny to see everyone trying to come up with the best technique because people were going in all sorts of directions, moving their arms and legs in a bunch of ridiculous ways. The next relay was a kick board relay. We had to sit on our kick boards and move our arms to move. It was a really good work out for the arms, and it was funny because people kept falling off and there were boards flying everywhere.

The next relay was also very interesting. One person would swim a 25, and when they were done, they would grab onto the next person's feet. The next person would then pull while the person behind them tried to push their body forward. It was a really fun night and a great way to end the semester.

When I got home, Mary Ellen could tell that I was a little upset, so we went to get ice cream and then watched Beauty and the Beast. She's a great roommate, and I love her so much.

Clearly, this has been such a great semester. I love IU and my life here, but I know that there are incredible adventures waiting for me in Barcelona. In the words of Dr. Seuss:

You're off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!