These past four years have been the best and worst years of my life. I have learned more about myself as a person and have matured more than I ever thought possible. I have gone through some pretty tough moments with friends and relationships, but in the end those moments gave me the courage and strength to press on and achieve my highest potential. How cheesy, right? But so incredibly true.

My advice for all you that are still embarking on this journey of growing up is to enjoy every minute. As everyone says, college flies by, and they couldn’t be more right. Join organizations that you would have never thought you would be interested in. After all, I joined SGA on a whim, got voted in, have been a representative the past three years and was Finance Chair the past year. Yes, finance chair. Am I a finance major? No. Did I ever think I would have been involved in student government? Not really. But it happened, and I loved every minute of it.

Also, bring out your inner nerd and get super into school and your major. This past semester I was on the WINNING Campaigns team for the National Student Advertising Competition. We spent countless nights in the library until 3am, and for at least two weeks, I was spending an average of 10 hours at the library a day. This was terrible, but what made it better was that my team was super into the project. We all joked around in the pods at 2am and hammered out the plans book and presentation in record time, only having started over a total of about 6 times. It was exhausting and frustrating, but one of those moments of college I will never forget.

In order to make the most of your college years, you have to get out of your comfort zone. I know I did, and I had the best experience at TCU I could ask for! Thanks to all of you who I shared memories with! My TCU family will forever hold a place in my heart.

This is cultural memory. It’s the revelation and examination of the forgotten and the study of why it was forgotten in the first place. It is an intensely personal experience, but without it, we fall into the trap of forgetting ourselves and who we are as citizens of this great nation. I leave you with one of the most famous poems regarding the Lincoln assassination by a great American poet, Walt Whitman. Look into it and see if you can feel the same fervor that gripped the nation in the months following the president’s death. Taste and savor the memory.

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead. 

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

Here Captain! dear father!

This arm beneath your head;

It is some dream that on the deck,

You’ve fallen cold and dead. 

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!

But I, with mournful tread,

Walk the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

I have gone to Billy Bob’s, hung out around the Stockyards, been to Sun Dance Square, been to a comedy club, done a scavenger hunt around Sun Dance Square, wrestled a tiger, been to the zoo, played golf, played golf again, gone to a ranch, been to Winstar, been to a Stars game, been to a Mavericks game, been to a Rangers game, watched Matt Moore two-hit the Rangers in Game 1 of the ALDS (fist pump), gone skeet shooting, gone snipe hunting, ran around Trinity Park, gone canoeing, gone to the Botanical Gardens, gone to Waco, gone to Houston, gone to Austin, gone to the State Fair, gone to TCU football games, TCU basketball games, TCU baseball games, TCU tennis matches, TCU soccer games, TCU athletics in general, had a conversation with a panda, pet puppies, played with bunnies, hit in batting cages, played miniature golf, dunked somebody in a dunk tank, gone bowling, played laser tag, played whirley ball, played beach volleyball, played basketball, utilized the Rec, gone to multiple open mic nights, been to the Frog Film Festival, gone sewer running, gone to weekly church, been to a trampoline park, been to a gymnastics gym, gone running, gone out to eat, eaten more, and more, and more, eaten a lot, but avoided the mostly fabricated freshman 15, found love in a hopeless place, left the hopeless place, didn’t actually find love, had formal at the Colonial, been interviewed multiple times, gone to Ignite weekly, participated in multiple Bible studies, played TCU intramurals, had sorority philanthropies, hit a sorority girl in the head with a dodge ball (oops), did that multiple times (on accident, I swear), wow this list is really long, but I’ll keep going, had a movie marathon, sat around and did homework, played video games, gone door knocking to meet new people, had fun, had the time of my life, had First Monday Honors College breakfasts, had more fun, literally had the time of my life, had so much fun, I actually have more things I could list but for the sake of your attention spans will stop.

So, don’t ask me this question again. Here’s my answer.

The traditional definition of pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred location of spiritual significance. However, I am among a group of TCU Honors students who will be exploring the idea of non-traditional pilgrimage through a trip to London, Paris, and Rome this summer; for example, ideas we may consider include how fashion or even food can be a type of pilgrimage for many.

I, personally, am interested in literary pilgrimages. In particular, I am hoping to see how travelers engage in these searches by visiting the homes and even gravesites of beloved authors. Thus, one of the questions I will be asking during this trip is if the deep feeling of connection between a traveler and the locations and objects marked by a writer is analogous to the spiritual renewal felt by pilgrims of the Hajj or other religious travels.

My interest in this matter began during an assignment in my religion class in which we were asked to identify a famous grave we would like to visit; the responses ranged from Whitney Houston to Ronald Reagan to Dr. Seuss. With my upcoming Cultural Pilgrimages trip on my mind, I immediately searched the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris for famous poets and authors who I would enjoy visiting the graves of, having already learned from class that Oscar Wilde’s tomb resides here and is covered in red lipstick from the hundreds of kisses brought by admirers of his work. Yet, I decided that I will diverge from the typical tourist path and visit the Protestant Cemetery in Rome to spend my time with John Keats and Percy Shelley, two literary figures who are buried here. I am fascinated by their work; in addition, I believe there is an inner connection rivaling a soulful force that compels literary pilgrims including myself to visit a place marked by someone whom I admire.

Once I realized how strongly I wish to embark upon a literary pilgrimage, I began to research homes of authors as well as famous sites depicted in my favorite novels that I will have the chance to visit during our three week pilgrimage to Europe. Among my list of must-sees are places such as King’s Cross to see where the famous Harry Potter began his own journey at Platform 9 3/4, the Keats-Shelley House on the Spanish Steps in Rome, and 221b Baker Street where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are said to have lived in the series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

When I travel to London, Paris, and Rome, I hope to keep an open mind and try to understand what inner force motivates people to create meaning from an ordinary house in which an author grew up or the final resting place of a famous writer. Non-traditional pilgrimages can be literary, historical, or based on a culture’s choice of food, but they are nonetheless a pilgrimage in nature. Is this kind of pilgrimage as satisfying and life-changing as a trip to the Vatican might be for a Catholic individual? I believe the answer is yes, but our group will have to wait until this summer to experience it firsthand before we can accurately describe and take meaning from a non-traditional pilgrimage.

However, in the honors college, taking classes to fulfill Lower Division honors has truly widened my horizons in ways I couldn’t expect. As I talked about in a previous entry, I’m taking a Cultural Visions class with Dr. Middleton this semester discussing Africa and the Africa Diaspora in regards to religion. Last week, Dr. Middleton offered my class to attend an extra credit lecture from the AddRan Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Series.

At first, I thought there was no way I would go. After all, why would I want to spend my free time learning about something so far away from my particular academic interests? You see, the AddRan Liberal Arts College’s Distinguished Speaker series featured Dr. Szok from the History Department. I have to say, while at first I didn’t want to, I attended, and am so glad that I did.

In his lecture, Dr. Szok discussed his work with popular art in Panama and its relationship with the various eras in Panamanian history, beginning with the building of the Panama Canal. The ways in which culture is affected by history are so interesting to me, and beyond what I ever imagined possible. I found myself riveted by the photographs of works of art taking place in ordinary locations like buses and barbershops. At the end of the lecture, I was glad I had gone.

You see, in the honors college, there is no way to hide yourself in a corner and learn only what you want to learn. You are brought out from your shell to encounter new places, philosophies, and people, which truly makes one well -rounded. Not only that, but the colleges teaches its students things that you could never get in an ordinary classroom. For example, Dr. Szok’s search for art in Panama taught me about a passion for learning. To see the thrill Dr. Szok had in his eyes when giving his lecture inspired me to be passionate about my interests, a lesson I can take much further than just my cultural visions class.

All in all, every time I encounter another facet of the honors college, I feel myself being molded into a well-rounded person with a quest for knowledge.

My birthday always falls over spring break (St. Patrick’s Day) and I thought I would use this as a way to convince my older brother to go to New York with me. Ireland last year, why not New York this year? Although I was ready with my argument about how we are young and why now is the time to travel and how fun March 17th in New York could be, my conversation with him lasted no longer than 30 seconds. “Hey, Joey? …What do you think about going to New York sometime? I think it would be really – ” “Yeah. Ok. Let’s do it. We’ll stay with Chris and Will in Midtown.” So we figured out the details, promised to live on a budget while we were there, and packed our bags!

For about a week we stayed with friends of my brother’s from college and toured the city every day until our feet throbbed. We tried to do it all. Here are some of the highlights:

Day 1: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, bagels and coffee in Central Park, Papaya King (Hot dog place in Seinfeld), St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 30 Rock (As an NBC fan, I was beyond excited just to see the flags surrounding the ice rink), Baked by Melissa cupcakes for my birthday!
Day 2: Dunkin Donuts coffee, Museum of Modern Art, Upright Citizens Brigade (Sketch comedy place where a lot of SNL cast members got their start. Cast included Gabe from the Office and Sue from 30 Rock!)
Day 3: Run in Central Park, Columbia University, Tom’s Restaurant (the Seinfeld café), FAO Schwarz toy store, Grand Central, visited friends studying at NYU and in Long Island
Day 4: NBC Studio Tour (Stopped at the SNL studio…a tear may or may not have trickled out of my eye), Jimmy Fallon rehearsal, Radio City, watched Madmen season 4 in preparation for last Sunday’s premiere of season 5!
Day 5: Rush tickets to Broadway show (Only $30- I made a friend

when I was standing in line and then we happened to run into each other two days later on 87th St. which is 40 blocks from Broadway, where we met the first time.), 9-11 Memorial, Chinatown, Wall Street, Katz’s Deli (When Harry Met Sally filmed here), Death of a Salesman on Broadway (Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the lead. Also saw, Liza Minnelli at the show!), Time Square
Day 6: The Highline (park built on old railroad tracks above the city), Murray’s Bagels, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (We found family names from both my Italian half and my Irish half.), Upright Citizen Brigade again, Madison Square Garden

New York was everything and nothing like what I had expected, and I loved it.  New York, check…Chicago, you’re next (but you may have to wait a while for me, because that whole budget idea Joey and I had for New York was not one of our greatest successes).

• As our last outing together, we walked to Fenway Park. We had an enthusiastic, long-time fan for a guide. It was a beautiful sunny day to wear short sleeves and walk the streets of Newberry. Some of the girls stayed behind the group to go to some boutiques while the others continued to lunch and to catch their planes.
• All in all, I was a little wary of giving up the beach to spend part of spring break in the city, but I would make the choice over again for sure. All 9 of us bonded and laughed so much this trip and I was surprised that I felt confident to get around on my own by the third day. We ate at a variety of great restaurants and walked around the city so much… I hope that helped burn off the countless desserts we shared throughout our trip.
• So I didn’t end up having to miss out on the beach after all; we finished in time for me to fly to Florida for 4 days! This trip to Boston has been very memorable and I am glad that I took the time to discover various part of America’s history and develop a close relationship with my classmates.

Im sad to say I left Boston without ever having tried Boston Baked Beans! But… I did manage to get lobster for lunch one day… so I think I’ll live.

• We walked the Freedom trail, a path that leads all throughout historic Boston via a brick trail on the sidewalk.
  • We saw Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, King’s Cemetery, the Old North Church, and Paul Revere’s house.
• We ate at the Union Oyster House for lunch, this historic restaurant held special importance for me because this is the place where my parents shared their first date 25 years ago!
• We took the subway to Cambridge where Harvard is located. Mariah and I walked around the Harvard yard and sat in the grassy lawn. We watched tourists take pictures while we acted like we actually knew what buildings they were photographing.  We cunningly tried to see the main Harvard Library but we were denied entrance to the elaborate library after much pleading because it is not open to the public.
• We ate at a local hamburger joint… and lets just say Dutch’s across from TCU doesn’t have to worry about any competition.

Tuesday

• Today we woke up to take a train to Salem, the town where the infamous witch trials of 1692 occurred.
• We missed our train. We ran after it in a futile attempt to hop on as it skated away just inches out of reach.
• So… we enjoyed a nice breakfast at a café while we waited for the next train.
• We arrived at the “witch house,” and were joined by our tour guide. He was dressed in traditional puritan-period clothing including a wig, a wool jacket, and a hat. Our Salem-native guide was very informative and quite the expert on the witch trials. We passed the homes of the judges who sentenced so many to the gallows, the jail site, and the cemetery.
  • Our guide made a point to emphasize the fact that the novel, The Crucible, although widely read and largely accepted, is full of mistruths.
  • We stopped by Ye Ole Pepper Company, the oldest candy shop in the Nation.
  • We visited The House of Seven Gables, the location of the famous Nathaniel Hawthorne novel. We climbed a fence and hopped down some rocks toward the water. All of us rolled up our jeans and played in the numbingly cold water. It was a fun and carefree way to celebrate the gorgeous weather.
  • On our free time, 4 of us girls chose to visit Chinatown.
  • Our final dinner as a group was at a fabulous Italian restaurant called DiVinci’s. We had a three-course meal and giggled the entire time, reveling in each other’s company and repeating the silly comments we made all week.

Saturday
- I was fortunate enough to be invited to tag along with Mariah Green to visit her high school friend Molly, a student at Boston College. Molly and four of Molly’s friends from BC picked us up at the airport.
- It was a perfect day for us to visit on this particular Saturday; St. Patty’s Day. It is one of the most festive days of the year in Boston because of the large Irish population.
- First, we ate in BC’s dining hall which was elegant and had a similar set up to TCU’s Market Square.
- Later that day we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with alot of other students all around the BC campus.
- At the end of the night, I was completely caught off guard when I ran into an old friend from my high school in Arizona in the dining hall! What a small world.

Sunday

• When we woke up, Mariah and I were given an informal tour of the BC commons, library, chapel by Molly and her friends.
• We rode the T “train” to downtown Boston (about a 20 min ride) and got off at the wrong stop! We had a 30-minute walk with our suitcases, but we didn’t really mind because the weather was great and we passed some beautiful buildings. The architecture in Boston is very classic and elegant.
• Mariah and I met Dr. Pitcock and other students on our trip at the Hotel around 3pm.
• When the group was assembled, we walked through Boston Common, the large park in the center of the city. The children’s book Make Way for Ducklings is set in Boston Common. One of the girls in our group purchased the book in a gift shop and it was fun to be able to flip through the illustrations after walking through the park and recognize the buildings!
• For dinner, we went to Regina’s pizza in the North End of Boston in the Italian Quarter.
  • The streets of the North End are truly Italian. I could smell the bakeries with their fresh bread, pitzelles and cannolis. My grandma always makes pitzelles so I felt a special connection to the Italian section.
  • As a treat, we went to Modern Pastry.  I met two 90 year old Italian men dressed in full three-piece suits and hats who happened to be sitting at a small table in the corner. They were speaking solely in Italian. I went up to them to ask what their favorite pastry to order was but they responded in confusion. I tried speaking Spanish and they seemed to understand. Next thing I knew one of the men stood up and took my hand and started leading me down the street. We passed two stores and stopped at the small Italian meat and cheese store at the corner. He said it was his; indeed his picture hung over the cash register. He started the store when he first migrated to America from Naples, Italy. Naples is where my grandpa Rosati is from and I found it interesting how they share the same distinctive icy-blue eyes. His grocery store carries cheese, olives, bread, and meats imported directly from Italy. Speaking with these two elderly old Italian men definitely made my night.
  • Our group joined a ghost tour of the city at 8 pm; we visited the site of the Boston Massacre and the most haunted building in Boston, the Omni Hotel.
  • We went for a late night dessert sampling at Finale, a world-renowned restaurant that only serves dessert.