one of those moments.

After nearly three years at Notre Dame, I have experienced a lot of new things ... some good, some not so good. I have met 7 amazing girls that are now my Notre Dame Family. I have met more people from all over the world than I ever thought was possible. I never cease to be amazed at the caliber of people that I am surrounded by on a daily basis. I have taken 30 courses, some of which I absolutely loved and some that were a true struggle to pay attention in. I have spent countless hours in the library, pulled many all-nighters, drank too many cups of coffee, and read dozens of new books. I have cried too many times to count, spent too much time stressed, but all the while, I have loved every minute of my time at Notre Dame.

It is kind of funny because it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day hustle and bustle of college life, that I forget how truly blessed I am to be here. I can remember telling mom and dad that I was going to go to Notre Dame someday when I was ten years old. I vividly remember the first time we drove up Notre Dame Ave and saw the golden dome (which is still one of my favorite views on campus). But of all the things I have learned while being here, the most important is that I absolutely love to LEARN.

It sounds a little funny to say that I love to learn, but I get so much enjoyment out of learning something new. As a history major, I am so intrigued by people and places. On a daily basis, I am in absolute awe of my professors. I am amazed at how much they know, how much they enjoy what they do, and how they are always striving to learn more.

Today, I had one of those "wow, I love this place" moments. Instead of the usual fascination with the beauty of campus, however, this moment was more in fascination of the aura of the university. I feel so at home going to class everyday, learning new things, talking with professors, and discussing interesting facts with my friends. I adore the educational atmosphere and cannot wait to learn new things again tomorrow.