Lots of goodbyes.

Today was the last day of the spring semester and also my last official day at the University of Kentucky. It has been a confusing few weeks for me, and it's only now, now my papers are handed in and I only have grading to do, that I can sort of reflect on it.

I am headed home for four months, then, in September, I will be returning to Canterbury, in England, to pursue a PhD in Film Studies. This makes me very happy, because it is precisely what I want to do with my life.  I realize now, in retrospect, that everything I've done and read and watched and enjoyed up to this point has led up to it. In 2003 or so, the first book I bought with my own money was Mark Vieira's Sin in Soft Focus, which I mainly bought because of the nice picture on the cover, and which I didn't read for years afterward - but of course it turned out that it dealt with the Hays Code, which my PhD proposal is on, and that Mr. Vieira is the same author who would in 2010 write two wonderful books on Irving Thalberg. My random purchase of that book - second-hand and for pretty cheap! - has really been one of those odd, prophetic moments.

I will miss UK, though. Today, I went to say goodbye to someone who's really helped make my two years there a wonderful time. When I first came to UK, the DGS of the History Department told me to go talk to this art history professor if I wanted to take a class there. I went, and she turned out to be one of the most wonderful humans I have EVER met. I took a class with her and audited another one and have just generally semi-stalked her ever since. She's been really supportive of me academically and personally and even at one point pretty much offered me her spare room/apartment to live in. It was sad saying goodbye to her because I feel like I've come full circle - it feels like only yesterday, I sat in front of her office waiting for her to talk to me about the art history offerings for the semester.

Additionally, I just attended my very last Shabbat service at the the temple I've been going to for about a year and a half. Since this is the place where I became serious about my interest in Judaism, the place where I started learning Hebrew, the place where I've celebrated Shabbat and holidays and had a BUNCH of good food over the course of the last few years, this was really sad. I didn't cry, but I came pretty close, especially because Rabbi Kline has been so nice to me, too. He's really made me feel like I can be a Jew and like I belong, and he's been really supportive of my decision to move back to Europe, too. I love meeting quality people, and I've met many of those in this state and in this town.

Lots of goodbyes, though, and I don't like those.