As many of you may know, I was finally able to attend the End of the Year Gathering for my online school, Veritas Press Scholars Academy! And I have written about it a couple of times.. I wrote about it just the other day. And here. ...And over here. Okay, maybe more than a couple, but you get the gist. I was excited about it.
I had high expectations of this week.
And it lived up to those expectations. Every bit of it.
First off, I would like to thank the Rush Family for hosting me. It was brilliant! Noah is one of my oldest friends from Veritas, and it was fantastic to finally be able to see him after three and a half years. Thank you so much!
If you look up in the title section of this post, then you will notice a "Part 1." There are many stories and pictures to come, and I do not think that I would do right by the EOYG if I tried to cram everything into one post. So here we go.
It all started with being picked up by Noah at the airport in Philly. We made it to the Eden after a quick stop at Taco Bell (twelve pack of tacos to be split three ways). Having not eaten much that day, I believe I ate half of the dozen. (This was my week off, okay?)
At around 6 o'clock, we arrived at the elusive Eden. I had heard about this resort for the past three and a half years, and I was finally walking into it. It wasn't really the location of Gathering that caused excitement for me. It is what it held for me. The promises that it held in its depths. And the friends that had arrived before me were assembled somewhere in that place. So you can imagine that I could hardly contain myself. We soon dropped our bags off at the room, and I dashed out with Noah in tow. He showed more self-restraint. I start acting like a platypus that hasn't been in the water for weeks when excited.
We spent Wednesday evening weaving through the different little groups that would form as we strove to find our different friends and classmates. The major activity was game night with Dr. Collender in charge. It was very enjoyable. Pizza was also served there, but I was still full from the six tacos I had consumed earlier that afternoon. (I didn't think that one through.)
Thursday morning dawned bright with the promise of new adventures. (As would the following three days.) Big events included the Barbecue and Photography Scavenger Hunt. Once again, I was just enjoying the fact that my friends actually existed. It is an odd feeling when you realize that you've known someone so well for years and have never met them. It was odd, yet at the same time, it came naturally. Why shouldn't we be comfortable around each other? Only the setting was different.
I could regale you with endless stories, but as I said before, it would take far too long. I am now going to skip to the end. At least, the end for me. Saturday was another fantastic day. After Grad Lunch, Graduation, and the Dinner Dance on the previous day, it was comparably laid back. The majority of the students went out to Cherry Crest Farm. There were various activities to do there, but for the most part, we fellowshiped and attempted to avoid getting sun-burnt, as it was one of the warmest days of the week. There were also a few inner-school competitions between the different grades. (At this point, I will advise you to not run up a steep slope in khaki shorts. It is highly uncomfortable.)
Saturday was also my last day. It was probably one of the toughest goodbyes I have ever experienced. (And I have experienced far too many goodbyes.) It left me aching inside, and I hope that I shall not have to experience it again. But the joy that I experienced that week made the pain bearable.
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| (Photo creds: Mrs. Smith.) At the dinner dance with my broski. |
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| (Photo creds: Sarah Diesing) |
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| The crew. |
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| The fantastic Rhetoric II section. (Missing the other two great classmates! Wished they could've made it) |
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| At the Dinner Dance. |
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| (Photo creds: Kaitlynn Smith.) |
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| (I stole this from Harry. This has to be one of my favorites. Noah looks so serious, and Harry is being goofy.) |
As I wrap up this rather long post, I just want to thank you all. Thanks for the memories. Thank you for the laughter. Thank you for reminding me of the reason that I enjoy going to online school so much. It's easy to become caught up in the fact that I can't see you all daily, but this week was really worth the wait.
Thank you all for the stories we wove that week.
I'll never forget it.
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