Well, folks, we officially touched down in the U.S. yesterday around 5 pm in Minneapolis. Some of us then embarked on five-hour drives home, others just drove a few minutes, and one even stayed in a hotel in Minneapolis before going home today. Although the goodbyes were hard, the whole process was rather surreal as it seems impossible that we just spent three weeks in England and Scotland with each other.

Waking up this morning at home, there have been thoughts of, “Was that all a dream?” Or, “How can it have gone by so fast?” We’ve made new friends, learned new things, and of course have so many new memories. As we part ways for the coming semester, Nancy has encouraged us to reach out to her and to Dr. Bobby as well. He missed our last day, however, as he went off to Malta where he will lead another study abroad program this coming semester.

The theatre major seniors met with him for an evening when we arrived in Edinburgh to have a sad goodbye since he will miss our graduation. We shared memories from the past three years, and of course from the past three weeks together seeing plays abroad. Some of the plays were favorites across the board, like King John and Snowflake, while other people felt moved by Ocean at the End of the Lane with its impressive technical aspects and the magic of imagination, or The Arrival, which tackled the relationship between brothers who found each other later in life after the older brother had been given up for adoption. We may not have always had the same impression of a show, but we all were moved by something one way or another. I can’t thank our professors, the other students, and the people who put on all of those plays enough. We had a truly unforgettable experience together, even though right now it just doesn’t seem real.