So the seminarians who went to CUAA like to tell a little story about their first day in Greek class.  The professor said “gentlemen, for the next [x amount of time] Greek is your girlfriend.”  When I first heard this story, I rolled my eyes and said “lame.”  That level of devotion must be completely exaggerated, I thought.  WRONG.  I was wrong. 

Greek, for all intents and purposes, is my boyfriend.  I spend four hours per lesson this stuff.  I have NEVER spent that much time on any class for any normal homework assignment in my entire life, by principle.  And now I find myself obsessing over every little word, every letter, every iota subscript in each translation assignment.  It’s completely absurd.  My relationship with Greek has quickly morphed from casual dating to being pretty much hitched. 

Greek is kind of hard to live with.  It’s very fussy and very exact and very demanding.  One little breathing can change the meaning of a five line sentence.  I tend to be a slightly disorganized person.  Greek is pretty much OCD.  I’m impatient and I like to get things done quickly, but Greek demands my patience and longsuffering.  We are not a good pair at all, but yet we’re getting along rather well.  Account for that.  I can’t.

Today we had our last lecture with Anna Williams.  Tomorrow was supposed to be our last, but she cancelled it so people could catch up with reading.  It was such an abrupt ending, but it was good.  I learned a ton from her.  I may never see her again.  How strange.  Account for that.

And then we had our last lecture with Rex too.  I can’t think of anymore more interesting than learning about the Reformation from a pretty staunch Roman Catholic’s point of view.  Nevermind, I can think of plenty of things more interesting, but this was pretty good.  I learned the Spanish Inquisition isn’t nearly as bad as you’d think, after all!  Take that, Mel Brooks.

Arif, Courtney and I went to evensong was St. John’s tonight.  St. John’s is my favorite.  Then we made some good pizza.  We’re going to Ely tomorrow afternoon to show Arif around.  That’ll be nice.

Our Wales trip is SET.  We’re going to be hiking in Brecon Beacons national park, and they’ve got mountains.  And our new and abridged plans for break:  Milan, Italy; eurail through Austria and Czech Republic; possibly fly from Prague to Dublin and stay there for a day or two; back to England.  Then Scotland the first weekend after break.  Then Lake District.  Then Paris early May?  And that’ll be it. 

I’m almost halfway through my time in Europe.  It’s gone too fast.  Account for that.

While I’ve been here, I’ve met some of the kindest, gentlest, most generous people in the world. 

Going back to the states is going to be hard, but one thing will be good, and that’ll be taking the Amtrak train from Chicago to Detroit and then getting off and seeing my fam.  I think that’s the only thing that gets me through thinking about leaving England.

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