Sap(ling)

I get sad on the last day of classes. I'm aware it means summer is an arm's length away and pretty soon I'll be tan and finally be able to work enough hours to pay my bills, but I always feel like I'm going to miss my classmates. This hit me particularly hard today on the last day of my senior seminar on the psychology of religious terrorism. There are about seven of us in the class, and everyone is brilliant and thoughtful. It was a pleasure to roll out of bed every Monday at 8am to be there with them. And as I've said before, and will say again, Dr. Jones is brilliant. He's the smartest man on earth and I'd be his disciple if he'd only let me. So as we all parted ways today, I couldn't help but feel like I'll be missing them the next time someone says something absurdly off point in another class, or the next time I read a Jones interview or article in some distinguished publication. They'll be graduating next week, while I'll be surrendering myself to at least another semester in this place (its the price you pay for transferring AND going abroad), and I hope they will looked back fondly in their caps and gowns and remember the insanity that was Jones' seminar, how terrified we were of him at first, and how we all made it out alive.

Also, to my Eloners who are receiving their saplings in the coming weeks. You don't know how lucky you are.