April 12, 2005 - 12:24 p.m. It's starting to get warmer. I'm starting to think about summer and for the first time in a long, long time I don't really want to finish school. I'm attached to my little routines, to my professors, to the things we're reading and studying and discussing. Let's face it: I'm an academic. I'll miss my room and everything that feels like normal. Because yes! it feels like normal. I suppose then it's a good thing that I don't really care much about going home except to see my family. I've decided to stay here for June and July to do research in the chemistry department. This means that I'll be gone basically the whole summer (but you can visit me). It's sad in some ways because Spencer and Beejay won't be here, but I don't know that going home would make me miss them all any less. And I'll miss you, my home friends, those of you who are still there, but you too have important life things to do. So summer is coming, but I'm not quite ready to end this first wonderful year of college. This is where I belong. This is where normal is. ...before & after...