there's no place like home...or is there?

The one thing I hear from just about every first-year, every second-year, and every staff member is "are you going to do the program?" In the beginning, it was an easy answer: "I'm not sure yet, that's why I'm interning here. Ask me again at the end." Of course, they've held me to that response. After about a month of being here, the question resurfaces, "so do you think you are going to do the program now?" My first response is always: "I'm definitely going to apply. Am I going to do it? I'm not sure yet. A lot can change in 2 years." If they pry further, which most do, I explain my one major concern--the distance. Now, I'm not talking just about the physical distance. I would happily move to LA or France. It's more than that. I just feel like my experiences would be so different from my friends. I understand that change is not necessarily a bad thing--it's sometimes best to branch out. It's just that, I'm afraid I won't be able to relate to anyone from home anymore. Some things here are just so different, it's hard for me to even explain them, let alone understand. See, for me, my escape (other than hour long runs when I'm frustrated) is my friends and family. They know exactly what to do and say to take my mind off things. In a job like this, I know that I'm going to come home almost everyday needing to escape; needing someone outside of this place to calm me down. Sure, the teachers have each other, but talking to someone who is dealing with the same issues is not the biggest help. Molly mentioned that she sometimes has a drink with the workers at the hardware store underneath her apartment :0) That's better, but still....they aren't family. They aren't close friends. They aren't outside of this place. I've been carefully considering my answer to that golden question and dwelling on this thought for awhile, but the other day I realized something. I'm not really as "far" from home as I initially perceived myself to be. There are always images, landscapes, people, and moments that can take you back. Let me show you what I mean:

Left: Sunset, Cadillac Mountain, Maine
Right: Sunset, Lake Sardis, Mississippi

Left: Baxter State Park Trails, Maine
Right: X-Country Track at OleMiss (by Whirlpool Factory), Mississippi

Left: Freshman Quad, Amherst College
Right: The Grove, OleMiss

Left: Rocky Coast, Bar Harbor, Maine
Right: Rocky Coast, Lake Sardis, Mississippi

Far Left: Basile vs. Anna, Mississippi Volleyball Corps game
Two Photos on the Right: Basile vs. Anna, Jeffs vs. Ephs (Track and Field)

If you really take the time, you can find little pieces of home anywhere you go.