Day #109: Here at the End of All Things

Well, this is it. In a matter of hours, I will be getting on a bus to the airport for my flight out of Vienna to Dulles, along with many of the other students here at the Kartause. The day was spent cleaning our room vigorously and finishing up packing. The cleaning crew here is quite meticulous about our rooms being immaculate when we leave, so it took several hours. But there only a few minor details we missed, so after fixing those few things, we passed inspection and checked out of our room. It was a sad sight to see the room returned to its hotel form once more, and a sad thought to leave this room after having become such a relief and a comfort to come home to after these past few months of traveling. The room was our little sanctuary, the Kartause our Rivendell, during our travels. It has been bitter sweet, these past few days, taking our last few walks through Gaming. I have grown to love this place dearly - if it were drenched in music culture with an organ, schola, and such, I'm sure I would be heartbroken to leave. God knows how much I can handle it - He knew better than to give me all of that right now. He knows my heart would have a hard time bearing to leave this place if I had all of that to leave behind!
Yesterday I had my last final - Physical science, which doesn't really count because it was only a quiz on the material from the previous two classes, followed by a small experiment. Our choir sang for its last Mass, which went beautifully. After lunch, my friend Craig and I enjoyed some peach wine and some ice cream - we had been saying we were going to have wine together since the beginning of the semester, so I'm glad we finally got around to it. Craig will be going to Kenya for a month at the end of this semester to do mission work along with two other Franciscan students here in Gaming. Then Tim Santos, myself, and a couple other students climbed part of the way up Book Mountain - just to the Cross so we could see the lovely view of Gaming one last time.
Later that evening they had a barbecue with lamb and pork out in front in the courtyard. The families were running around, music was playing, college students and the professors' children were playing soccer in the yard. It was quite chilly out, but we were eagerly anticipating the event of the week: Dr. Asci jumping in the creek! Dr. Asci is our Christian Marriage professor and the president of Academics here at the Kartause. He said that if we raised enough money for Mary's Meals, a charity that feeds hungry children in Africa, he would jump in the creek. As the money poured in, more and more professors also said they were willing to jump. By the end of the semester, we were nearly one thousand euros over our mark! So, total, we got Dr. Asci, Professor Cassady, Father Brad TOR, and Professors Tom and Maria Wolter to jump in to the creek! Several students followed suit, including nearly all of the prethes. During the chaos, a devious student decided to prank several rooms at the Kartause and plant salamanders in their bathrooms. My roommates and I were not among the victims, fortunately.
To finish off the night, Joey Walsh and I watched the remainder of The Return of the King. I'm glad we were able to finish the Trilogy while here in Gaming. Of all of the films, this is the one I have seen the least amount of times, so it was interesting to come back to it after not seeing it in so long. We had a couple good laughs relating Aragorn, Arwen, and Eowyn's love triangle to principles learned in Christian Marriage! Common good, co-subjectivity, and self-gift! The ingredients of love! Oh my, too much studying for finals. At the end when the hobbits and Gandalf are bidding one another farewell, I found myself saddened by the thought of leaving this place. I have made many good memories here. I have made new friends, I have played beautiful instruments, heard beautiful music, seen beautiful sights, prayed in breathtaking churches. There is a scene where the hobbits have returned to the Shire and are seated at the Green Dragon. They are silent but no words need to be said. This scene is such a striking contrast to the scene at the beginning of the film where the four hobbits are also at the pub, but making merry, jovial and carefree. Now, they are more somber compared to their fellow hobbits. But they do not look down on their carefree nature. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin have seen the world, have seen pain and suffering as well as great joy. Because of their experiences, they have a deeper appreciation for the peace and innocence that those around them enjoy. A few moments later, the hobbits are bidding farewell to Frodo, Bilbo, and Gandalf at the harbor to the Grey Havens. Tears are shed, but as Gandalf says, "Not all tears are evil." The chapter of the Lord of the Rings has come to an end. A new story is about to begin for all of them: Frodo, Bilbo, and Gandalf are going to the Grey Havens where they will be able to rest in peace. Pippin, Merry, and Sam have lives of their own. Frodo says of Sam, you can no longer be torn in two, between Frodo and his family. Sam has new things to live for: a wife and children, and his life as mayor.
The same thing could be said of us. We have had our adventures here in Gaming. But the adventure does not end here. So many people after coming to Austria, and even many of the faculty here make it out to us that this is the semester of a lifetime, a.k.a. this is the best time of your life and when you get back to your normal life in the States your life is going to be miserable, drab, and gray. But this is simply not true. The Austria semester is just one chapter in the book of your life, similar to how The Lord of the Rings is just one giant chapter in the lives of Sam, Gandalf, Aragorn, Eowyn, Legolas, and so many other characters. Granted, it was quite a significant and formative chapter for many of them. Similarly, Austria has been a unique, challenging, and formative experience for most of us. The fruits of this semester will be showing themselves for several months following our return home. There will be new, beautiful experiences to look forward to back home. There is much work to do, and many loved ones with whom to be reunited.
It's time to turn the page, continue reading, and let the next story begin.