Enjoy living the glamorous life?

Glasses? Check. Gloves? Check. Scalpel? Just kidding.

But instead, I need some bleach. Yes, that's right. Because I'm going to attack the mold growing on the inside of my washing machine. And I'm going to win.

And win, I did. If you don't believe me, you can ask the three witnesses who laughed as I scrubbed with all my energy and looked like a fool wearing sunglasses to protect my eyes.

This would never happen at Richmond. But I'm not at Richmond anymore. I'm studying in the beautiful (and sometimes damp) city of Edinburgh, Scotland, and for the first time, I'm truly on my own.

It's about more than the administration telling you it will take more than a week to clean your washer and you deciding to take matters into your own hands.

Richmond has always been a second kind of home. I'm not just talking about your friends, but every single person who is a part of the community.

I'm talking about the lovely housekeeper who helped me regain consciousness when I blacked out while walking down the stairs in my dorm last year. I'm talking about the professors who know me by name and meet with me several times a week so I can pass a class. I'm talking about the campus employees who came to D-Hall during the winter storm last year so we could all have a home-cooked meal.

Here, I am a number in a crowd of students. My professors don't even have office hours. They leave that to their teaching assistants. And food? I've been trying to cook every day, but that hasn't gone over so well.

Don't get me wrong. All of the students who are studying abroad are traveling to amazing places and seeing some of the greatest sights in the world.

Nevertheless, at the same time, we are gaining a new perspective - one of reality. This is the type of reality I don't really think exists at Richmond (and that may be why I love it so much). At Richmond, we're able to fall into a cozy feeling of comfort and forget just how lucky we are.

I will never appreciate all the little things as much as I do now. Like a washing machine that doesn't take two hours and 40 minutes to wash your towels. Or having a dryer in your building. Or having plugs that don't have an on switch. Or having faucets that actually mix the cold and hot water to form a great in-between temperature. Or having a stove that actually has degrees on it. Or going into the grocery store and recognizing brand names. Or eating food that I didn't cook for myself.

For all these things, I am grateful. And for all of the people at Richmond who make me feel lucky, I have one thing to say: Thank you.