I’m still thinking about what happened that day. There I was, sitting in a hospital bed, listening to Colton profess his undying love for me. Haha, just kidding. It’s not that dramatic.

It’s just that he’s had a crush on me for years! Here I was, thinking that he hated me or something! Well, anyway, I’ll give an update on what happened after that.

So, where were we? Colton thought it was crazy that I never caught on to his crushing. We talked and laughed about it. For a few hours.

Ya know, I think we were even starting to become friends! After he left, my parents came back and continued to discuss the possibility of me travelling abroad.

I felt like we had left our last conversation on a good note; they did too. It was a pretty amicable talk, and we ended up settling on a solid plan: if the rest of the year at school went well– no more catastrophic bumps in the road– I could apply for a study abroad program, which would take place during the first semester of next school year.

I’d have to pay for half of it so that I had a responsibility in my investment. Mom brought up some slightly clingy terms to adhere to (where I would call or write home at least twice a week), but I guess they were fairly reasonable.

I was in the hospital for another week after that conversation. When the doctors finally let me go home, I was a little sad. The hospital bed had grown on me, and I had made friends with some of the nurses who came in and out.

Whatever fleeting sadness I felt when leaving the hospital disappeared the moment I stepped inside my long-missed home. It’s like they all say: “you never know what you have until it’s gone.” I hadn’t realized how much I missed home until I was cooped up in the hospital.

Each roughly sanded corner, each wall with paint beginning to crack, each creaky door hinge– I missed it all. I was flooded with the good memories that roamed these halls. I saw the smiling faces of my family, and it warmed my heart more than any fire blanket at the hospital ever could.

I suddenly had a rushing appreciation for everything I was so eager to leave behind; a feeling sat in my stomach uneasily, but I pushed it away until it was hidden behind the happiness of Home Sweet Home.

A few days later, Colton came by. We talked and then got coffee together. We took a walk in the park, but it was pretty chilly, so we quickly found ourselves back in that coffee shop.

I found out that Colton was nice and funny– and that we actually had a lot in common! We talked for hours and hours until Mom finally told me to call it a day.

After my injuries were fully healed, I was finally able to go skiing. Mom, Dad, and I took a day trip to a local ski resort; we skied for a good ten hours. I was exhausted but content, and I was starting to realize I could find little adventures even here at home.

Here’s to hoping that I’ll make the most of my time here. Here’s to hoping that this semester will go smoothly. Here’s to hoping that next year will take me new places.

-1/08/2018