Like warm air from my lungs

*That's "To Be Young" by Tall Heights, btw. One of my favorite songs these days.

Empty metro cars mean you can be loud and take pictures.

I can't hold on to my time here--the days slip through my fingers like dry sand.

So indulge me in my nostalgia for a second and let me tell you what I'll miss about this experience:

-Soccer in the muggy evenings at Jake Berlin Memorial Park--with the fireflies blitzing on the sidelines and the dark figures wondering around on the other side of the fence
-Automatic friends. Want to do something? Text five people and you'll be on your way in ten minutes
-Pillow-talk with Robbie
-Vanilla almond oat cereal, Greek yogurt, nectarines, and pomegranate limeade from Trader Joe's
-Trader Joe's. Right across the street
-Our awesome handicap-size shower
-The little clicking sound of the Barlow Center front door unlocking
-Walking from an air-conditioned building out into the hug of humidity
-Running up and around Georgetown University. And to Arlington. And around the Lincoln.
-Georgetown Scoops' cinnamon-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookie-dough ice cream! Yes! That is a thing!
-Also lavender icecream. Also a thing.
-Endless games of Harry Potter werewolf
-The smell of cement in the metro tunnel. Possibly the only thing I like about the metro.
-Running through rainstorms
-Wearing nice (ish) clothes 6/7 days of the week
-Coming home from work, kicking off my shoes, throwing my stuff on the ground, and just sitting on my bed 
-Robert's smile, Reed's winks, Robbie's quirkiness, Trent's leadership lessons, Brody's fist bumps, Anna's sass, Rebecca's listening ear, Sam's enthusiasm, Becca's friendship, Shunta's excitement, Margarette's chillness, Jace's wit...the list goes on. I love everyone.
-Kathleen's Bostonian attitude at work
-3:48 High-Low-Jack at work
-Ashoka's happy atmosphere
-Catching the circulator bus to and from work every day--saying "good morning" and "thank you" whenever I get on or off
-Following the red-brick sidewalks all around the city
-The monuments. Duh. Especially at night
-Little pockets of park
-Jay's 99-cent day-old cookies!

Granted, I'll still be able to experience some of these things since I'll be staying in the area, but it won't be the same. The whole Barlow-Ashoka-BYU combination is not replicable. I can't even explain how much I love it here. This experience has slid right inside my soul and settled in like it was always meant to be. I needed this place and these people to help me recalibrate--I think I'm ready to face the real world now, but that doesn't mean my heart won't ache when everything changes.