The first week back is always the hardest.
After waiting what feels like an eternity for Spring Break to arrive, it comes and goes faster than you can say "Cancun."
Before we know it, we're back on the Blue Bus to Central Grounds, pulling all-nighters in Clemons and subsisting off ice milk in the dining halls.
Some people may still be rocking back and forth while they walk down the Corner, as if they're still on the cruise ship.Some people still have the golden glow of a new tan or the restful look that comes after sleeping 10 hours a night for a week.
But after a week, the rocking wears off, those tans begin to fade and dark circles reappear under those once-rested eyes.
Added to the usual stress of returning to classes, the University has been a stressful place for some students over the last few weeks.We've had to grapple with issues of violence, politics, race and acceptance in the midst of some difficult situations.
Try looking outside our Charlottesville bubble, which is often hard to do when you're submersed in college life. We're a nation facing an international conflict that is quickly escalating to war.
It's enough to make you throw up your hands and say, "Can't we all just get along?!"
Life is hard sometimes. We have to pay-to-print, parking seems to be more of a nightmare than ever and we have eight uninterrupted weeks of school with no breaks.
So this seems like the perfect time to remind you that it's St. Patrick's Day.
For one thing, it's the perfect excuse to revert back to your Spring Break alter ego, who goes out on Monday nights and doesn't mind sleeping a little later on Tuesday morning.
And what other holiday gives you the right to pinch your classmates just because they're not wearing anything green?
Just so everyone's aware that St. Patrick's Day is more than a drinking holiday, maybe we'll have a quick lesson in the history behind March 17. It will give you something to talk about while you're drinking.
Today, March 17, is actually the date of St. Patrick's death in Ireland in 461 A.D. St. Patrick spent 30 years of his life spreading Christianity throughout Ireland, upsetting the Celtic Druids and suffering imprisonment on several occasions.
Americans adopted the holiday in 1737, first celebrating it in Boston.
Today we associate St. Patty's Day with green beer and shamrocks, which St. Patrick used to teach his followers about the Trinity.
(We're obviously talking about the three-leafed shamrock here, not the green beer.)
But when I think of St. Patrick's Day, I think about the four-leaf clover, the traditional sign of good luck.
So, are you feeling the luck of the Irish today?
Given all the stress in our lives right now, be it work-related or war-related, maybe we should take a minute to think about how lucky we really are, regardless of whether or not it's March 17.
While it's not really my place to write such a "feel good" column, it is my place to write about student life.
We're lucky that spring seems here to stay. We've been able to walk to class in flip-flops this week, and there are hardly any patches of snow left on the ground.
I literally woke up this morning to two birds singing outside my window. While I was less than thrilled to be woken up before my alarm, I was glad to know that I could finally pack up my winter clothes for good.
We're also lucky to live in a community that comes together during difficult times, rather than dividing into angry groups.
While I'll leave it up to the Opinion writers to discuss the Student Council elections and the attack on Daisy Lundy, I will say that I'm glad I go to a university that won't tolerate such a blatant attack on one of its own. Even though it's not possible to go back and undo the damage, we're lucky that our administrators, faculty and peers want to push forward and make change.
And spring is indeed the time for change and new beginnings, as they say.
It's also the time for some of the most memorable events at U.Va. and the events that make the spring worth waiting for.
There will be spring formals, Spring Fling and the Foxfield Races.New sorority members have Big Sister weeks, and some students will have their classes taught on the Lawn if it's a beautiful day.
It's time for lunches at Beaver Creek and driving with the windows down.
And if it's not enough just to look forward to all these things, just remember that we're lucky enough to be enjoying them at one of the most beautiful and prestigious universities in the country.
See, no matter what you're paying for printing or parking, life ain't so bad.
And while our nation may still go to war, we are lucky enough to live in a nation that believes in democracy and leadership. We are also lucky to have brave men and women fighting to defend our right to this democracy, should it come down to that.
No matter what your cares and concerns are today, may the luck of the Irish be with you.
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