Packing the Memories

By Luci Farrell

As you sit reading this it is currently March and in the 80s outside. Paranoia is apparent when looking at passersbys. We are all enjoying the weather, but because of the month, all nerves are on edge waiting for the temperature to plummet or a freak snowstorm. In a good will gesture to nature, most of us are packing away any clothing meant for temperatures less than 70 degrees. Sweaters, long sleeve shirts, and boots are being packed or donated. On Tuesday night there was a clothing swap in the Regina lobby where all students were invited to donate clothes and take away clothes they could use. For me it was a perfect way to give away clothes I no longer wear and a way to make sure I did not have extra clothing to pack when I head home.

Packing. It’s a scary thought. I have looked through my room realizing in a few short weeks I will be packing up all that I came with and not returning to Chicago. I carefully consider objects thinking about those I received as gifts. A set of Lord of the Rings PEZ figurines watches people from my kitchen. A poster from my favorite webcomic reminds those in my living room to have fun. Photos taken with friends are scattered through my room reminding me of good memories. Packing up all these memories will be difficult, but at the same time they are still coming with me. We cannot relive every memory, but we can remember them through stories and photos.

I think the most exciting packing experience will be when I put my books away. These books are tops of my reading list for summer. Books on flappers, biographies, and even books looking into the philosophy of Alice in Wonderland, are thrown together in my shelves confusing all those silly enough to read their titles. These books will give me time to just enjoy myself as I hunt for a job and decide what I am going to do now that my undergraduate career is over.

While my time here ends, for many it is just beginning. I speak at the informational socials for the Honors program every semester. I get to talk to those getting ready to start their college career and answer any questions these students may have. I tell these students about classes, living on campus, clubs, and why I am thankful to have chosen SXU. While not every aspect of your life pans out the way you hope, I would not trade my memories for anything. It is true I have lost friends, but we all have. That does not mean I wish I had never met these people. Without them I would not be the person I am. I would not have the support system I have needed to make it through Honors, my senior project, and being 800 miles away from all I had known. The beauty of college is finding out that home is never far away. Home is where you feel safe and even if there is just one person that supports you, that is all you need. I was never homesick in my four years at SXU because this has been my home.

Though I may not shed a tear when I leave, I admit I will probably have a cliché moment of silence as I finally drive away from the place I have called home the past four years. I may not take the school with me, but I will take bags and boxes full of memories the school has given me.

Keep Calm and Appreciate the Memories

Luci Farrell is a senior from New Haven, CT. She is an Organizational Communication major with a minor in Anthropology. Luci is a Resident Peer Minister on campus and chair of the Honors Program Advisory Council at Saint Xavier University.