I was extremely excited to post in my blog and describe everything that has been going on in my life since I left for my epic holiday adventure in Roma and Mykonos. Instead, I want to intertwine the death of an accounting professor at my university, Professor Sue Marcum.
Professor Marcum was the head of the accounting department at American University, and was murdered yesterday in her home. I never had her as a professor and never had the opportunity to have a full conversation with her, but I always respected her. She is a faculty brother of Alpha Kappi Psi, and through my fraternity and my friends in the business school, I came to regard her as the best professor in Kogod and one of the most loved.
In life, there are people that do not play dominant roles in your day to day activities. They are on the sidelines, figures that you come to expect will always be there, that you expect to come in contact with every once in a while. The only times I came in contact with Professor Marcum was when she went to AKPsi events and whens he substituted for one of my professors last semester. Because I am abroad, I am unable to take accounting classes so I will have to take 4 my senior year. In the back of my mind, I always figured I would sign up for her classes because she is such an amazing teacher. To find out that she has not only passed away, but is suspected of being murdered has stunned me and has wrenched my insides. I can't describe how I feel, I just feel a huge loss, an emptiness in the pit of my stomach.
I am in one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been in my entire life. I have a hotel room with a balcony overlooking the beaches of Mykonos, Greece. This morning I was in Rome, had a layover in Athens, and am now in Mykonos. My life is already crazy and unreal and has been changing my perspectives on everything and to have this happen so unexpectedly has left me utterly and completely lost. It has made me realize how short life really is and makes me thankful that I am having these experiences this semester, traveling the world and seeing life outside of the states. I would like to one day impact people the way Professor Marcum has impacted me, and I will always remember her.
A few minutes ago, I was outside on the balcony with Genna and we were talking about the days events, and the passing of Professor Marcum. Through that conversation, I have decided to make a bucket list of everything I would like to do in my life. Genna rambled off a statistic that says the people who write down bucket lists are more likely to achieve their goals. Although some of the list is personal, I would like to share some that I would like to accomplish.
1) Learn another language and be able to effectively communicate with native speakers. I would love to fluently speak Spanish and French.
2) Skydive
3) Own a house in another country
4) Perform or speak in front of at least 1000 people
5) See the 7 Wonders of the World
Tomorrow I will post about my crazy adventures in Rome. To give you a taste:
- I ate gelato twice a day
- I had a traditional Roman dinner in a restaurant with an old friend from Italy, Giacomo
- Rome wasn't built in a day, but Genna and I conquered it in 3
- Got lost in Travastere
- Our hotel was conveniently located close to a prison
- I ate dinner overlooking the Pantheon
- Genna and I got a bus driver who spoke absolutely no English to somehow find our hotel and drive us to the very front of it at night
- Ran into 2 different groups of people from the FIE London program at the Vatican and in Campo Di Fiori.
- Saw the Sistine Chapel
After literally walking around the entire city center of Rome, our plan for Mykonos is to simply enjoy the scenery, wander the streets, and appreciate that we are in one of the most beautiful places on the face of the planet.
Love,
Miriam