I went into spring break with a list of fun things I wanted to do. To make sure they happened, I put lunches and walks and bike rides on my calendar. And they did.
Monday began with a run, since rowing was cancelled due to the wind. I went to an orientation call for my T4 in Spain program. After lunch, I showed Joy and Kana one of my favorite running paths. We came upon an Easter egg hunt. I got back to my room in time for my first pre-Spain Spanish class.
On Tuesday morning, I rowed around in circles on the least windy part of Lake Waban. I love rowing in a single. There’s plenty to think about without having to focus on matching the pace of the person in front of me, and the small boat provides instant feedback on my rowing stroke. Later that day, after Spanish class, Joy and I went to take photos of track practice. The sun was so strong. As soon as it went down, when we were eating dinner on the quad, we were cold.
Wednesday’s row was less windy. I hopped on my bike after and toodled with Adeline down the road to Crepeberry. As always, I got a crepe and she got an acai bowl. We backed up our chairs away from each other and slapped our paper bags to keep them from flying away (I said less windy, not not windy). She went back to campus to get ready for her row, and I extended my bike ride a few more miles around town.
That evening, we celebrated Joy’s birthday with Chinese food and cake.
Thursday, after my final Spanish class, Adeline and I biked one of our favorite routes from the fall. We stopped for ice cream for the first time since late October. I felt so alive.
The weather on Friday was perfect—65⁰F and sunny with no wind—and I had a beautiful last row. I’ll miss rowing laps on Lake Waban, challenging myself to keep up with my teammates and watching the house from Knives Out appear over the trees. I’m so grateful for our time on the water. In the fall, if we’re back in eights on the Charles, I’ll miss rowing myself around Lake Waban.
After rowing, I went for another bike ride, this time with Cricket. The roads were mostly empty. If I could put a day like Friday—the weather, the relaxation, the fun—in a bottle and uncap it whenever I need a pick-me-up, I would.
I did one last load of laundry on Friday before I started packing my suitcase. For twenty minutes, my clothes were stuck spinning around in a locked washing machine that wasn’t putting out any water, and the timer wasn’t counting down. I was ready to rip the door off its hinges. Luckily, I managed to get my clothes out and into another machine without breaking the first one any further. I spent the evening on the quad and invited friends to stop by. The dining halls put on moonlight breakfast, so I had tater tots and ice cream for my last dinner in America. It seemed about right.
Me and Caroline and Tootsie on the quad
Packing and printing all my travel forms stressed me out, and our layover in Paris was too tight for comfort, but I made it to Spain as planned. I opened letters from friends on the plane and landed to texts wishing me safe travels. I’m bummed to miss out on another spring at Wellesley, but I’m so excited to be in Spain for the next seven weeks.
My last Wellesley sunrise until the fall