Should I Leaf or Should I Stay-tion

It’s the end of the semester for the Highlands IE students. The trees and surrounding trails have gone from vibrant verdant green to oranges that could compete with the sunset to now empty gray. The heat is up inside the cabins, but yesterday we bundled up for our last excursion - ziplining!

At Highlands Aerial Park we split into two groups and spent a couple of hours whizzing from line to line. Our views crossed three states: Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Afterwards, we huddled by a fire. It was reminiscent of the first trip we took, which for me was a day after driving 6 hours from the Piedmont, a couple days after flying 5 hours from Washington. We went to the Smokies, back in August, as a group of strangers. We shared an obvious love for the outdoors: we waded in the Little Tennessee, admired sleeping bumblebees at Clingman’s Dome, and poured over a table of field guides at the Tremont Institute. However, we were undeniably awkward at first, quiet and stiff.

Yesterday, we were loud and cozy. We sat on the wooden ledges and shared stories of the guides who’d led us on the ropes, of winter plans, of thanksgiving meals. I was asking Jason Love, one of our professors, for recommendations of places in Athens, Georgia since I had to leave this weekend to drop my dad off at the airport. In the middle of that, suddenly a spontaneous game of ‘Hot Stick’ began, where a stick is warmed in the fire and someone closes their eyes and chooses a stick. If your hand gets burned, you win! Now, you’re the ‘operator’ and must challenge a friend to this mighty test of luck and fortitude. The game is one of many played over the semester, others include: Rock Game, Corn, the Germination Game, Tuesday-night Basketball, Bananagrams, Sock-slide, jump-from-porch-and-sprain-your-ankle, Disc Golf.

Today, the Last Day of Class (LDOC), has been a tiring day for me. I hear my 15 closest friends making plans to ice skate and watch movies over the next few days, and I sulk on the couch. Earlier, I played a 'hat bop' game with Leah and Juliet, where we bopped each others’ heads with the crochet hats Georgeanna made for us. Truly, words could not encapsulate what a beautiful fever dream Highlands has been, and although I know I will be back on Sunday, I’m realizing now many ‘lasts’ have already passed. My last weekend, last class, last movie night in Weyman, last 30-minute trip to Walmart.

Today, the 'last' I look forward to is this being the last time I leave Highlands while all my friends stay behind. Next time, we'll part together. Like landfill in a river, we'll float down separate paths, some entwining again and some unfortunately detached, but we will always have the same point-source :)

-Mathangi Mohanarajah