A friend (from here at home) committed suicide last Thursday - little over a week ago. It has been crazy here. Tragedies like this hit hard, particularly in a small town where everybody knows everybody.

In the beginning of the summer, I had thought that I would visit Bucknell before I left for Spain, since I knew that Bucknell started a week before I left. But as the summer flew by I didn't think I would really have time, and I felt I had said my goodbyes at the end of the spring semester.

However, as I sat in the funeral home on Wednesday and listened to the minister talk about my friend's life, and grieved with friends and family, I decided that I had to come up to Bucknell to see my friends before I left for a year. (I'm going to be in England in the spring and summer).

So, I drove up on Thursday afternoon and after a four-hour drive arrived at Bucknell. It was a bittersweet experience. Driving onto campus felt like coming home, but I also felt out of place, as everyone has started their semester and is settling back into campus life, and I'm heading in a different direction. Still, it was so good to see my friends; I really miss them. It was good to have their love and hugs after my emotionally draining week. (Thank you, everyone!)

I left campus Friday afternoon - since my mom wanted me home again for the weekend. I leave this Wednesday, and my parents and Emily and Patrick are back in school (my parents are teachers) this Monday.

On the way back to Maryland, I stopped in to see Alicia, who is starting her sophomore year at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster. She drove up and moved in Friday morning, and we wanted to get a chance to see each other again before I leave. It was great to see her; we went out to eat with her roommate and then I drove home.

When I got home I learned that the vice-principal of the high school where Alicia and I graduated, and where my Dad works, was killed in a car accident when someone ran a red light. He had worked at the high school for 46 years.

This has been one hell of a week for this community, and with all that has been going on, I can't believe that I leave in a few days. I felt like I had a couple weeks of the summer left, and now it has all gone.

Still, I'm sure I'll be able to get everything ready, and I'm excited to finally be headed to Spain after talking about it for so long!