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| Erica Gaither Class of 2019 |
I miss the way it felt to anxiously decipher the routes of London’s tube station, only to be met with the embrace of a friend, after having made it to the right place at the right time, when I could’ve sworn I wasn’t going the way I was supposed to all along. I miss the way it felt like time stopped whenever I’d make my nine minute walk home from the tube station, beneath the street lights, comforted by the cool, night air. I miss the sigh of relief I’d have after scrambling to pack and the surprise in my eyes whenever I could fit more than one pair of jeans in my backpack for a weekend trip. I miss the way my heart beat sped up as I walked beneath the Eiffel Tower at nine o’clock at night, stunned by the thousands of lights dazzling across it. I miss the electricity I felt in my bones when I witnessed the sun set and drape the landscape of Barcelona in a magical, orange haze. I miss the stillness in watching the rain distort the neon glow of Amsterdam’s lights across cobblestoned alleys. I miss the way my heart felt like it was going to explode as I strolled through the streets of Rome amidst the peaceful strum of a street artist’s guitar, in disbelief of the Colosseum standing triumphantly in the distance. I miss the thrill of light-hearted conversation amongst strangers in a hostile. I miss the nervous laughter amongst friends as we ran across the airport, swearing next time we would get there extra early. I miss the excitement of political debates in the most diverse classrooms I’ve ever had a seat in. I miss the silent peace I felt exploring museums at my own pace in any order that I wanted. I miss the way it felt like connections were literally being drawn in my mind, as I saw pictures and stories from textbooks come to life before my eyes. I miss the freedom and spontaneity coursing through every moment and decision. I miss the way it felt like I couldn’t breathe, because I was surrounded by so much beauty. I miss how lucky I felt to have a handful of indescribable people beside me to share any and every experience with. I miss every countdown to a new country in Europe that kept me up the night before with excitement. I miss every unintended adventure of London that turned out to be the best moments of my life. And while I may want to be back there with every fiber of my being, oh, how special I feel to have had such an experience that gave me so much to miss at all.
Erica Gaither, of Princeton, Ky., is a junior McConnell Scholar studying criminal justice and political science.