So, in addition to posting my usual doodles from Psychology of Art, I also just turned in my Orientation Leader Application (you know, if the title didn’t clue you in…)

In the awesomeamazingfantastic event that I end up staying here, I will hopefully also be selected to help incoming students adjust and become a part of Franklin, like I have. It’s been a long, awkward, and bumpy road, but I feel like I’ve finally found my niche in this community of wanderlust, dreamers, cynics, and crazies. Heidi calls Franklin ‘The Island of Misfit Toys’, and she is completely correct.

At Franklin, you’re weird. You’re strange. You like travelling, and sleeping in airports, and taking random night hikes, and being involved in strange clubs and going to Italy because it sells cheap honey. But you also gather so much more information about yourself than you would ever think possible.

It’s here at Franklin College Switzerland that I’ve discovered what I love, what I hate, what I want, and what I need. I’ve made amazing friends, I’ve traveled all around Europe, and I’ve visited so many museums my heart races when I think about it. Call me cheesy, but I thrive at this strange institution that nobody’s ever heard of. I did it on my own- I packed up everything I could and got on a jet plane and left everything familiar in the dust. My family has been there every day, helping me out and keeping me sane. Whether it’s helping me pay my overdraft fees after the Euro gave my account a beating in Madrid or shipping me my emergency credit card after losing my wallet in Paris, or even just telling me that they’re still alive after finals week and I can do it, too.

So, to make a story short, I’m still planning in the rare event that I return. I’m registered for some awesome classes, I turned in my application, I’m registering for housing, and I’m hoping that some sort of miracle will happen and I’ll either return after a semester or year away (you know, to gather more funds) or to come back in the fall.

Whatever happens, it will be awesome.