Adiós, Louisville!

Tonight is my last night in Louisville.  I guess it's my last night in the United States too!  How crazy is that!?  I was talking to a friend of mine today about my upcoming semester and she said that in her experience, when someone is leaving home for college or going abroad, they will try to minimize the pain by saying things like "I'm so glad I'm getting away" or "I just want to move on to something better."  She thinks that when big transitions are about to happen, people try to justify their new adventure by thinking about the negative aspects of what they are leaving behind.  I have a lot of friends going abroad all over the world this coming semester and I have heard a lot of these sentiments from them and from myself when we talk about our future journeys.  But now, as I sit here writing out this blog on the last night of my summer here in Louisville, I find myself equally joyful and grateful for my experiences this summer and my upcoming adventures in Europe.

Three summers ago, I first walked through the doors of CrossRoads Ministry in Louisville as a retreatant on a week long urban immersion social justice retreat called CrossWalk.  My own personal transformation toward living a more just and socially engaged life began that week.  Without a doubt, CrossRoads Ministry completely shifted the trajectory of my life and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my summer than to give back to the ministry that has given me so much.  This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to accompany other young people on their own transformative retreats as we built relationships with people who live on the margins of society and gathered together for nightly reflection and prayer.  The summer was a whirlwind of questions, laughs, challenges, prayer, personal growth, healing, nourishment, and peace.

Here are just a few of the highlights from my summer:

My wonderful coworkers/friends on our opening retreat

at the Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse!

A fantastic group from Walsh Jesuit in Cleveland.

We are standing on the porch of Thomas Merton's hermitage!

My friend Victoria after we played (and won!) bingo!

A lot of new friends from Active Day, a day center for

adults with developmental disabilities!

Such a joy and a privilege to work with these lovely people

this summer!

This summer was such a gift and although it will be extremely difficult to say goodbye, I trust that my experiences this summer have given me a foundation for exploring the places, meeting the people, and experiencing the culture of Europe.

To my family:

Maria, I love you so much and will miss all of the sister moments that we have had this summer.  I look forward to Skyping you at strange hours during the day/night as we try to figure out the time difference between Louisville and Madrid.  Just remember...a megaphone looks most like a big phone and when you're at a loss for words, milkshake usually works.  Love you so much Ria.  Can't wait to see at Christmas! Literally!

DJ, Have the time of your life at college.  I can't wait to hear about your first semester when we both come back for Christmas.  Although you better keep me updated about your life throughout the semester.  Even though I'm on the other side of the world, I am always a Facebook message or a Facetime call away.  I love you so much Deege!  Kick butt at Murray!

Mom, Thanks for you constant love and support.  You are an extraordinary person and I am lucky to have you in my life.  It has been a wonderful summer with you and I will miss you so much more than you will know.  I promise that I will come back at the end of the semester and I can't wait to share my stories and adventures with you!

Dad, Thanks for a wonderful summer full of a lot of fun moments and memories.  I sure will miss kicking your butt in ping-pong so regularly. (: I love you and will miss you a lot.  Thanks for supporting my always, even when we don't see eye-to-eye.  You are a fantastic Dad and I am blessed to be your daughter.  I promise to keep you updated about my European adventures! Love you!

And with that, the first blog post is written, my bags are packed, and I am ready! (or as ready as I can be!)  The next blog post will be from somewhere in Germany, France, Switzerland, or Spain!  

Paz,

Sarah