It's the moments that count...

Well, it's Monday morning and - like always - this break from school flew by. Granted, I spent a good chunk of time doing schoolwork (that seemed near impossible! I blame my environment) but the majority of my long weekend was spent laughing with family and friends. And now I'm stepping back to just smile at how lucky I am to be surrounded by so much love and fun.

It's hard to know what to expect when I come home from breaks; I feel like I'm constantly changing and evolving at school, even if it's just internally, and there are only a handful of people who actually see that - my family is not within that handful. Two years into college and I'm only now realizing how different that is from the first 18 years of my life (uhhh durrrr!). When I'm home, I like to do a lot of observing instead of contributing to conversations -- don't get me wrong, I don't become a mute (I'm still Emily!) -- but it's interesting to see what things are important enough to discuss in depth or even argue about. So different than at school! I've pretty much given up on trying to explain Lighthouse and its effects on me, the family and friends at home do understand that it's a HUGE deal to me, but obviously, they'll never get all the intricacies and details and nautical jargon that go along with it. We all have different experiences, so this summer it's my goal to really work on listening to the people around me and hearing about the things that have and continue to shape them.

I had a great time back in good old Medina. I got to spend lots of time with my dad - who, by the way, is still trying to convince me to switch to an engineering degree... I think not! But hanging out with Papa Mike was really great, he's a real hoot. Same goes for Mama Kyle and the rest of the family, always a joy. Andy was missed this weekend, like always, but the emails, Facebook chats, and phone calls bring us as close as can be while still being halfway around the world from each other.

For whatever reason, the evening of Easter is always spent with my best friends. This really has happened since junior year of high school (Desten formation night, holla!) and I don't really know the significance this night but it always ends up being the simplest kind of hang out. We don't turn on the TV, no one has their cell phones fiendishly texting away, we don't even have food! (this year at least, other years are another story -- puppy chow is usually on the menu) We just sit around talking about anything and everything and always end up laughing until we cry, pee our pants, our throats close up, etc. Maybe it has something with the joy of the holiday, God has His hand working through our little group reuniting us and refreshing our friendship that spends 9 months of the year physically separated by hundreds of miles. All I know is I'm so grateful to have such beautiful women in my life and it brings me such comfort to know that no matter where I go, what I do, how I change, I can always come home to those three girls and know that I'm loved.

It's a well-known fact that THE song of Easter in Catholic churches is "Jesus Christ is Risen Today"...you know the one. I know you love it, too. You've probably started to sing it as you're reading this right now. It's become something my dad and I look forward to every year for Easter mass and I'm always afraid when we sing it I'll look over at him and just bust out laughing. Anyways, I love my church, really I do. But when they started singing the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of mass instead of me and Papa H's favorite hymn, you can imagine my disappointment and frustration -- they already sang that at Christmas! What about the people who only come to mass for Christmas and Easter!? They will think the choir has run out of songs in their repertoire and I'm sure they look forward to hearing "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" as much as I do! Granted, the family had a good laugh about this, but rest assured I came right home and blared that song on YouTube so it echoed through our house. We all sang. We're a weird bunch, us Haschers.

Back to the grind - hard to believe I will be officially halfway through my college career in just a week and a half. Leaving Dayton will be bittersweet this year, I feel like I'll be saying goodbye to my family and home for three months...I have the best friends at school, too. So blessed, all the time.