A picture of Hanna Banana and I.

Although most of us are already homesick and cannot wait to go back to New York, the realization that we have to leave this place is still weighing down our hearts. In the past two weeks, 18 students came and have been placed in a confined area. We have talked, bonded, fought, made up, and loved. We have formed a family: a group of people who secretly want to kill each other, yet they tolerate and understand each person’s good and bad sides. I was blessed to experience that in my college life as such things seem to be a part of our long-gone childhood. The circumstances we were put in gave us no choice but to get each other, and although we did feel like we were in a prison sometimes, we were in it together. Looking back, I am glad that the rules didn’t allow us to leave our campus unless we travelled with our group and professors because that made our bonding more wholesome. I hope we maintain the connections we built on this short trip for a very long time. Looking forward to all the reunions we are going to have in the future! Love y’all.

A sand dollar that Horia found; you can tell it’s a sand dollar from the way it is [Ed: I think Yuliya didn’t finish her thought here…].

• Yuliya