The End of a Chapter

I sit on the bench near King's College, protected from the drizzling rain by the overgrown flower vines. As I turn my head from left to right, I can see the majestic and beloved King's Chapel, a building of which I do not know the name of (surely it has some importance), the library, the untouched green grass cut perfectly in checkerboard style, the bridge across the River Cam, the steady punters giving tours on the river, and beyond them, the ornamental cows that graze on the lawn in front of King's.

I type on my laptop, wanting to perfectly describe what I see, but I can't. It's too perfect for words. I can hardly do it justice. And then I am no longer able to try, as the rain starts pouring down and threatens to destroy my laptop. I shove it in my backpack, then hurry to exit the college. But before I reach the exit, I see the clock. The clock that clearly displays to the members of the college what time it is. I look at the clock, slightly resenting it. It has moved too quickly; stolen time from me. But I think back to all the moments in Cambridge that I had, from the start to the very end.

I can see myself arriving to Fitzwilliam with Katherine, where a strange man on a bike came by and knew her name. Later, we would know this man to be Carlos, the man with the mutton chops who was in charge of running the program.

I can see myself opening the door to my flat room, only to discover that I had no bed, and that it was the size of a large closet. Then upon turning to my left, finding that I had another door, which opened to a much larger room with a desk and bed; then laughing in surprise.

Tick

I can see all of the jetlagged BYU kids meeting at the front of King’s on the first night where Drew, Dan, and Chase would then lead us on tours

I can see my first meeting with Professor Martland, and the funny look that he gets on his face when he is thinking

Tick

I can see the Scottish Ceidleih, full of loud music, copious (much needed) amounts of water, and sweat rolling off the faces and bodies of the PKP students

I can see the first trip to London, where Aileen and I walked around from Borough Market (my first time) and Portobello Road, eating delicious food and just relaxing

Tick

I can see (and still feel) the agony of being at the Globe Theater and standing for hours (though they seemed like days)

I can see myself walking back in the pouring rain from the University Library, because the rain always seems to show up when I decide to study there

Tick

I can see normal days in the CUS, full of paninis, mango juice, and loads of triple chocolate Belgian cookies

I can see us complaining (almost daily) about the food in the Pembroke cafeteria

Tick

I can see nights of watching Sherlock and laughing until my sides hurt

I can see hilarious improvisation that the actors in "The Taming of the Shrew" did during the pouring rain, and how we laughed about how soaked we all were

Tick

I can see afternoon tea with Katherine, Averill, and Michelle

I can see us swimming in the Cam and jumping off the rope swing into the freezing cold water

Tick

I can see myself learning to punt with some of the BYU students

I can see Jordan, Jen, Jenessa, Taylor, and me frolicking on our last night together, making far too much noise in the King’s College Library

Tick

And these are only just a few of the moments. So many more rush through my head. I shake my head, freeing myself from my thoughts and look back again at the clock. Already, fifteen minutes have gone by. 

I look at it in disbelief. I'm going to be late for dinner. Once again, time has slipped from my grasp. I take one last look at the clock before I head back to Pembroke. In a matter of days, my Cambridge experience will be over. 

...Tick, tick, tick.