my pilgrimage back home

This weekend I made a three-day pilgrimage to my alma mater, the one and only Wartburg College.
There were many purposes for my visit.
In no particular order:
to attend and experience the Saturday afternoon Christmas with Wartburg performance/worship
to see a multitude of friends
to play the chapel organ, for old times' sake
to return to one of the places I call home
to take a break from everyday life
to continue in my discernment process.

Wednesday evening after I got done at All Peoples, I drove to Sugar Creek to hang out with Kyle and crash at his place.  Good conversation was had, albeit late at night (i.e. morning) and while he was weaving a seat for his deer stand.  The next morning I hung out at camp for a little bit, met Kyle's coworkers, then headed off on the beautiful drive through God's country (I seriously love the drive through southwestern WI!) to the 'burg.

I've been able to stand in the FAC lobby, with my arms open ready to give hugs, and someone will come by exclaiming, "LAURA!"  It feels wonderful to be home.
Some people notice I'm around but don't do anything--not because they don't want to, but because it's completely normal for me to be hanging out in the FAC lobby, or putting my things in the coat closet, going to chapel, eating in the Mensa...

Things feel normal and comfortable.

Even though I am apart from this community and have moved on in my life, I still feel at home.  I know I am always welcome here, and I love that.  Even though many things in my life are different and I miss the college chapter of my life, I'm also at peace with where and who I am, that I will be going home to the life I live now in Milwaukee, and my time here at Wartburg is done.

I love being able to see my friends
to catch up
to laugh
to be present here.
I have had SO many wonderful conversations.  It is very relaxing to just get the opportunity to talk with people and not have homework or somewhere to rush off to.  This is my idea of a wonderful vacation; I already can't wait to do it again sometime.

A main reason why I'm deciding to call this trip a pilgrimage is because of how returning to my college home is helping me continue to discover who I am.  I know I spent four years here doing that, but even now as a graduate, I still find that the Wartburg community helps me in my journey of discernment.  (So much so that I'm going to go into more detail about that in a different post.)

College of MY brightest days, unto thee I chant my praise.
Wartburg is and always will be
my home.


...and I haven't even been to the CWW performance yet! I already know it WILL be the highlight of my weekend.