like ancient bruises.

Ten things I miss the most this semester:

One, the big outings. The twenty people getting on the metro at once, headed to the same place, laughing and falling all over each other.

Two, the weather. The still heat and the gladiator sandals and the sundresses and cardigans. The early fall, when shorts, a sweatshirt, and flip flops were colloquial and the light jackets that were covered in nighttime in the amphitheater.

Three, the free time. The arbitrary trips to get coffee, on or off campus, the outings to get smoothies and ice cream and groceries. The urge to constantly leave as we sat, gathering everyone for a trip to CVS.

Four, the people. The ability to sit in my lounge for three hours and still catch dinner and coffee with someone else. The decentralized perspective.

Five, the cleaning. The weekly, nagging smell of ammonia and the open windows as friends texted and texted, "land bridge?"

Six, the classes. Actually enjoying sitting in them and learning more and more about things I'd always loved. The teachers who engaged me and the people who kept me awake. The assignments I could actually be invested in and the projects I actually understood. (Honestly, fuck business and thank God I dropped it in time.)

Seven, the schedule. The nights waiting for everyone to get back, expectantly, pot in hand, ready to make ramen. The lunches at the same time every day, the dinners before (and, as time crunching got more serious, after) my night classes, the late mornings and the definition of 9:45 as the earliest I'd ever wake up.

Eight, the parties. The nights lost to walks back to campus, jaunts to local restaurants, pizza orders at 3 AM. The lounges when everything is lit up and the sun is coming up.

Nine, the all nighters (though I do enjoy the sleep). The nights up, going crazy, together, making noise and hoping nobody's noticed. The movie marathons, the TV marathons, the heart-to-hearts, the dancing, the alarms, and yes, the transport videos.

Ten, and last, but definitely not least, the camera that fit in my bag. I could have captured the world on that.