I am sitting on the couch in my little Darlene den. All around me is the wreckage of a room being packed up. I have the mostly packed suitcase in one corner with a neat pile of folded shirts waiting to be added. I have the small pile of not so neatly arranged clothes I am leaving behind. (I bought them on clearance when I got here, because here is colder than Cairo and I was freezing. They aren’t really my style.) I have the disorganized table with a few wrapped gifts for the kids, a lead crystal plate from a dear friend, and miscellaneous important paperwork scattered on it. I have the coffee table, that I use for a computer desk, cluttered with cords, chargers, and blank index cards. It’s the wreckage of a semester in this room.
Again today my sweet Jutta gave me a big hug and told me how much she is going to miss me. I am going to miss her too. How bizarre it is to become so attached to someone so quickly. I am going to miss my little brother too. He is such a good kid. Rica was here this afternoon and she comes and talks to me now. She calls me “Leen.” I am pretty attached to her.
Its weird for me to be feeling so strongly about two such different desires. I am so excited to go home. I can’t wait to hug my kids. Gosh, Melynda tells me that I won’t recognize my daughter. I am so looking forward to the changes I plan to make. I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed with my great big blanket and my 2 count them 2 pillows. I want to pet my cats. I want to see my best friend’s craggy face and talk to her. I want a Diet Dr. Pepper. 
I don’t want to say goodbye to Jutta. I will miss Klaus’s gentle humor and Jutta’s wide open heart. I will miss Kay doing his silly lip sync dance routine to Jason Derulo. I will miss Siggy sleeping on my head…lol.
I keep noticing things I didn’t do here in Q-burg. Places I didn’t go into, streets I didn’t walk down. I guess I thought that four months was longer than it really is.
I took my final today. It was SOOOOOOO difficult. I think I will make a B in the class though. I will know for sure in a week or so. Yesterday Frau Merchant told us that the Quedlinburg program would no longer exist after the Fall 2011 semester. I wanted to cry. This program is so incredible. I was so much better served here than I would have been anywhere else. We all were. This place and these people are incredible.
After we took the final, we had to turn in our building keys. It was a slap of reality. Made me realize how little time I actually have left here. Tomorrow we have our goodbye luncheon with all the students and all the families. It should be good. It’s up by the palace in the snazzy restaurant. Good food, and I have been meaning to get up to the Schloss and take sunshine pictures for about a week now.
Sunday, I leave.
What will home be like when I get there? Will the cats remember me? Will Melynda run out of the house to taste freedom the second I get there? Will the kids feel awkward? Will I? How will I handle being back in charge? I hope it will be easy to get back in the swing of things.
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