Goodbye Ann Arbor

I have lived in the same town my entire life. For twenty-one years, I have called Ann Arbor, Michigan home. After the disheartening realization that I was not going to leave this town for college, my thoughts turned to finding a means of escape. During my freshmen year at the University of Michigan, I spent a great deal of my free time wandering around the arboretum, listening to my iPod while eventually making my way down to the river, where I would sit, sometimes for hours, daydreaming and making grand plans to travel the world. Eventually, I resolved to stop imagining and make my dreams of traveling into reality. Frantically, I searched through the Kinesiology GoGlobal website, hunting for the ideal program. Though I envisioned myself spending a semester everywhere from Ghana to Australia, I eventually settled on Ireland.

Fast-forward two years: I am growing increasingly disenchanted with my major, my boyfriend just dumped me, and I am questioning and reprioritizing almost every aspect of my life. It’s time for a change (with a larger impact than a new hairstyle or piercing). So, I leave for Ireland tomorrow to study at the University of Limerick. At the risk of reinforcing the popular belief among my friends that I am a “hippie”, I feel it’s appropriate to reference one of my favorite Cat Stevens songs.

On The Road to Find Out

Well I left my happy home to see what I could find out
I left my folk and friends with the aim to clear my mind out
Well I hit the rowdy road and many kinds I met there
Many stories told me of the way to get there

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out
Well in the end I'll know, but on the way I wonder
Through descending snow, and through the frost and thunder
Well, I listen to the wind come howl, telling me I have to hurry
I listen to the robin's song saying not to worry

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out
Then I found myself alone, hopin' someone would miss me
Thinking about my home, and the last [man] to kiss me, kiss me
But sometimes you have to moan when nothing seems to suit you
But nevertheless you know you're locked towards the future…