oh i've seen fire and i've seen rain

i never thought leaving notre dame would be this hard.

:(

just how this story ends

and i didn't really cry until i stood in front of the blazing mass of candles, radiating heat all around me, staring and staring and staring until i couldn't see from the blur in my eyes. and i cried. i cried, sobs that racked through me and made me shake. and everything passed through my mind all at once, every good time and bad time, every friend i made, every mistake i made, everything that made this place special for me. and i said thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you have given me notre dame du lac, our lady of the lakes.

and now i'm sitting in my almost-empty dorm room and it doesn't feel like when i leave it will be for real, for ever, for the last time - this place that i have made my home and this place that has made me who i am.

a little piece of me will always stay here. love thee notre dame. don't let me forget a single moment of you.