My Tears Ricochet

 "...Everything is so beautiful and so short" 

-Marina Keegan

I have been emotional this week, I'm sure part of that is exhaustion, part is decompressing, and part is the acknowledgment of how quickly this is all flying by. There have been so many moments this week where I have wanted to weep. Sometimes tears of joy, sometimes tears of laughter, and sometimes tears of sadness. Ironically I was scrolling through Instagram and was watching a reel that shared this quote from Marina Keegan and it resonated with my soul. So much so that I purchased her book, 'The Opposite of Loneliness' and plan to read it ASAP.

"Do you wanna leave soon?

No, I want enough time to be in love with everything...

And I cry because everything is so beautiful and so short."

I don't know if there's a way to avoid the melancholy that comes when thinking about the end of any life stage. For me, this one is the most unique end since I really haven't a clue what comes next. I've been traveling so much that I have started to miss Cambridge. I'm cognizant more than ever of just how little time I have left in this unique town and it's scary. We just started this programme, and after blinking a few times, it's almost over.  I'm just starting to get to know certain people and build relationships with them. It feels like there's not enough time and it makes my heart ache. But, is there ever enough time in life? 

So, do I wanna leave soon? No.

I desperately want enough time to be in love with everything.

And this week, I have cried because everything is so beautiful and so short.

I have to give a special shout-out to my most avid readers, Jim & MD, without whom I wouldn't exist. Today marks their 41st wedding anniversary and I think that's pretty incredible. I am constantly in awe of how they tackle life. I grew up in a household full of love and laughter and I am so grateful for that. From watching my dad start dancing and singing in the rain as the water rose into our house, because, what else are you going to do? To learning from my mom how to serve the community and others with the biggest heart and grace, because, what else would you do? They are very cool and I am so proud to be their daughter.

We started our last term of classes this week and Monday for me was back to back with electives. While it made for a long day, I have always enjoyed school, so it was nice to be back in that structure. After class, I met up with Rebecca, Hadeel, and Nasser (NASA) for dinner at Tu Casa - truly a fun bunch. Tuesday and Wednesday brought with them core classes and the first Trailer of Life quesadilla of the term...IYKYK.

 

Thursday took me to Bari, Italy for the Space Generation Advisory Council's European Space Generation Workshop. That's a mouthful. We had a chance to visit the Italian Space Agency and see firsthand their work with Earth Observation. Friday was the workshop's official start, and I was asked to help moderate working group #2 - space commercialisation. Luckily I have spent the last month researching that topic around the world, so I felt equipped enough to support in this capacity. Unfortunately, Lina got food poisoning and had a not-fun night, eventually leading to a hospital trip. For those that don't know me well, I am the last person you want around during a medical issue, I have passed out too many times. I'm very glad we were able to get her to the hospital and that she was okay, but I'm also taking a win for myself that I didn't cause more issues with my own weakness! Saturday was the last day of the workshop and we were able to round out some interesting suggestions and create a unique presentation for the group. Really proud of group #2 on that front. I returned to Cambridge Saturday night and it felt good to be home.

Sunday brought C-Sunday on Jesus Green and some Pimms for good measure. It was lovely to sit out in the sun with my mates - we've been waiting for ages for nice weather! So pleasant to have a relatively quiet day. Finished the night at Queens' with some card games, gotta love some wholesome fun!