This semester I am enrolled in a computer science class. Most of the time it makes my eyes and my mind hurt, makes me think in numbers instead of words, and makes me more stressed out than any other class has before. Just last week I was assigned a project in which I had to design a computer program that completed a specific task on a simulator. I read the instructions for the project over and over, but could not for the life of me figure out where to begin. After countless hours of stress, googling "how to use computer programming software", and even a few tears I was eventually able to make the program successfully and turn the project in. Many of my friends can attest to the fact that I bragged hardcore about that program I had designed and showed it to everyone who would take the time to look. I was exhausted, yet I was elated that I had successfully completed this task that seemed impossible when it was given to me. The thing is though that, while I was happy in the end, perhaps the stress wasn't worth it; perhaps the end did not at all justify the means. See this class is completely "useless" to me by many standards. Assuming that I follow the career path that I intend to and become a middle school English teacher, I will never in my life be asked to indicate that I have any knowledge whatsoever about computer programing. That fact makes this class useless, right? Well, maybe not.
Maybe one day there will be a nerdy kid sitting in my English class feeling the same stress that I have felt this semester because he or she thinks in numbers rather than words and can't possibly write the essay I have assigned. Perhaps I will be able to make some connection with that kid anyway because I can at least speak a bit of the computer language he or she knows so well. Or maybe, and this is the most likely, maybe I will have to complete another task down the road that does not come easily to me. It probably won't have anything to do with computer programing, but at least I will be able to navigate through it because I now have the confidence necessary to succeed at something that seems impossible. Here's my point: just because you learn something in school that doesn't directly apply to your future career, that doesn't mean it is useless. Think about the most awful class you have ever been forced to sit in. Maybe you didn't even learn a single academic thing. Maybe all you learned was how to sit quietly and respectfully and listen to someone who doesn't say anything worthwhile while you are sitting there. Well, that's something that we are all going to have to do in life, and maybe it's good that you learned how to deal with that early on.
Here's a more optimistic way to look at it: no matter how uninterested you are in a subject, there is someone out there who is completely passionate about it. How are we, as diverse human beings, supposed to connect with others different from ourselves if we stick to only learning about the things we personally enjoy. You are going to encounter all sorts of people in your life; people with different cultures, religions, family structures, experiences and interests than you. And you won't only encounter them, you'll work with them, maybe even live with them. Everything we learn then applies not only to ourselves and our own work, but to that of others as well.
My friend Charlotte and I often bring ourselves to laughter by saying "um...it's about learning" in our most nasally voices as if we had just killed the music at a raging party and told everyone to go home and study on a Friday night. I'm not by any means suggesting doing homework on a Friday night, but maybe that tagline isn't so far off. Maybe this computer science class is useless and maybe it's not. But maybe that doesn't even matter. Maybe it really is just about learning.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
For Here or To Go?
Today was the grand opening of the Chipotle half of Starpotle/Chipbucks (Starbucks+Chipotle) right off campus. Needless to say, it was an excellent day. However, it wasn't just the three tacos overfilled with black beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese and lettuce that made it so good. Rather, it was the fact that literally everyone in Chipotle had a smile on. We walked in to be greeted with a chipper "welcome!" by the managers, and proceeded to be served by the friendliest food service workers I have ever seen. When I looked around at all of the tables I noticed that they were filled with college students dreading the start of midterms in two days, yet still smiling and laughing. When we got our food to go and headed out to the car, I noticed that I too had a huge grin on my face, feeling uplifted from being in such a wonderful environment, even if only for a short period of time.
I have two points to this story. The first is that Starpotle is the best invention ever, and the second is that perhaps a smile really can make all the difference in someone's day. And if one smile can make all the difference, then perhaps many smiles all collaborating together can really instill change. I realize that this sounds ridiculously cheesy, but I also know that I have never felt so happy after going into a fast food establishment before. Being in an atmosphere void of negativity makes it impossible to be anything but overjoyed. It also made me think that our society greatly underestimates the work that so many people do.
When we think about professions that people enter because they want to make a difference in the lives of others, certain ones instantly come up: medical professions, education, social work, etc. However, if you really think about it, baristas at Starbucks are often the first people that coffee drinkers (a majority population) talk to in the morning other than their family members. While we may not consider them powerful or influential people in society, perhaps we should. They hold the power of making or breaking someone's day, and that's a superpower if I've ever heard of one. While Starbucks baristas may hold the most of this superpower in society, we all have it. Every interaction of everyday consists of the potential to uplift or to diminish, and every individual is powerful beyond measure in this way.
So, let's stop judging power by means of wealth, looks, gender, sexual orientation or profession, and start using our mutual superpower to make everyday the best day possible for every person we encounter.
I have two points to this story. The first is that Starpotle is the best invention ever, and the second is that perhaps a smile really can make all the difference in someone's day. And if one smile can make all the difference, then perhaps many smiles all collaborating together can really instill change. I realize that this sounds ridiculously cheesy, but I also know that I have never felt so happy after going into a fast food establishment before. Being in an atmosphere void of negativity makes it impossible to be anything but overjoyed. It also made me think that our society greatly underestimates the work that so many people do.
When we think about professions that people enter because they want to make a difference in the lives of others, certain ones instantly come up: medical professions, education, social work, etc. However, if you really think about it, baristas at Starbucks are often the first people that coffee drinkers (a majority population) talk to in the morning other than their family members. While we may not consider them powerful or influential people in society, perhaps we should. They hold the power of making or breaking someone's day, and that's a superpower if I've ever heard of one. While Starbucks baristas may hold the most of this superpower in society, we all have it. Every interaction of everyday consists of the potential to uplift or to diminish, and every individual is powerful beyond measure in this way.
So, let's stop judging power by means of wealth, looks, gender, sexual orientation or profession, and start using our mutual superpower to make everyday the best day possible for every person we encounter.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Let's Talk About Lent
I realize that usually I write about random fun events, ideas, etc. on this blog, but I figured I would stray from the norm and use this post to reflect on the season of Lent, which begins tomorrow. When I think about Lent, the first word that pops into my head is sacrifice. Lent is about giving up something, right? It's about denying yourself something that you usually find pleasure in, or denying yourself comfort by doing something that is usually difficult. That's what I thought until I read Isaiah 1:11-17 and I was like, "say what"?
In these verses, God's is basically just hating on worthless sacrifice and festivals and prayer services ("the multitude of your sacrifices--what are they to me?"), which is weird because those all seem like pretty good things. But then it says "learn to do right; seek justice / defend the oppressed / take up the cause of the fatherless; / plead the case of the widow". Now this makes more sense to me because that should be the underlying reason to all of our actions...seeking justice. Here's what I think about Lent, take it or leave it. God doesn't care about your daily chocolate intake or the amount of time you spend on Facebook. What God does care about is the amount of time you spend loving others and yourself, building relationships, forgiving enemies, caring about the earth, and bettering the world around you. God doesn't care about the sacrifice itself, but rather what chain reaction the sacrifice catalyzes.
If giving up Facebook for 40 days is what it will take for you to become more appreciative of the people and places in your life, and gain a greater desire to participate more fully in your relationships, then that is a good sacrifice. On the other hand, if giving up Facebook for 40 days will simply give you more time to spend on Twitter, by all means do not relinquish your password to your roommate. See, I believe that if we, as human beings, were perfect, sacrifice would not be necessary. After all, the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus would not have been necessary had humans been perfect.
Therefore, the point of Lent is not to torture yourself by eliminating that daily piece of chocolate from your diet only to go on a chocolate binge on Easter morning. The point is to spend 40 days in acute awareness of how you can better seek justice in your life and the lives of every creature with whom you share this earth. This is a goal that we can all share, whether you are beginning a Lenten sacrifice tomorrow or not. No matter the way in which you choose to move towards this goal of true justice, never turn back.
After all, "what does the Lord require of you / to act justly and to love mercy / and to walk humbly with your God." (Shout-out to my Micahs!)
Happy Lent!
In these verses, God's is basically just hating on worthless sacrifice and festivals and prayer services ("the multitude of your sacrifices--what are they to me?"), which is weird because those all seem like pretty good things. But then it says "learn to do right; seek justice / defend the oppressed / take up the cause of the fatherless; / plead the case of the widow". Now this makes more sense to me because that should be the underlying reason to all of our actions...seeking justice. Here's what I think about Lent, take it or leave it. God doesn't care about your daily chocolate intake or the amount of time you spend on Facebook. What God does care about is the amount of time you spend loving others and yourself, building relationships, forgiving enemies, caring about the earth, and bettering the world around you. God doesn't care about the sacrifice itself, but rather what chain reaction the sacrifice catalyzes.
If giving up Facebook for 40 days is what it will take for you to become more appreciative of the people and places in your life, and gain a greater desire to participate more fully in your relationships, then that is a good sacrifice. On the other hand, if giving up Facebook for 40 days will simply give you more time to spend on Twitter, by all means do not relinquish your password to your roommate. See, I believe that if we, as human beings, were perfect, sacrifice would not be necessary. After all, the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus would not have been necessary had humans been perfect.
Therefore, the point of Lent is not to torture yourself by eliminating that daily piece of chocolate from your diet only to go on a chocolate binge on Easter morning. The point is to spend 40 days in acute awareness of how you can better seek justice in your life and the lives of every creature with whom you share this earth. This is a goal that we can all share, whether you are beginning a Lenten sacrifice tomorrow or not. No matter the way in which you choose to move towards this goal of true justice, never turn back.
After all, "what does the Lord require of you / to act justly and to love mercy / and to walk humbly with your God." (Shout-out to my Micahs!)
Happy Lent!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Las Compañeras Peligrosas Take to the Streets...Again
You may have heard me mention my roommate Emily Tuttle in the past. We have been friends since freshmen year of college and, needless to say, have shared many adventures during this time. However, perhaps our biggest and most exciting adventure took place in Rome, Italy last semester when we faced the very real possibility of homelessness for the first time. Let me take you back to February 24th, 2012:
Emily and I had just arrived in Rome around 8:00pm. Given that we had recently developed an obsession with the Mona Lisa after seeing her at the Lourve in Paris, we had booked two beds at the Mona Lisa Hostel in Rome for the weekend. Anyway, we were in a little bit of a hurry to get to our hostel because we were planning on meeting my friend there at 9:00pm (she was studying in Rome for the semester). So, we started walking from the train station, following the map we had printed out with ease. We found the narrow backstreet on which our hostel supposedly sat, and...it was no where to be found. We walked up and down the entire street again. No Mona. At this point we began frantically walking and yelling perhaps our favorite phrase that does not originate from The Princess Diaries: "WHERE YOU BE HIDIN' MONA?!" Mona did not respond. We wandered back to a main street to see if someone could help us (of course, the only italian words I know are musical terms, and I was pretty sure the word "arpeggio" wouldn't help us in this situation). Then we saw some taxis and thought that perhaps they had GPS and could direct us if we showed a driver the address. This seemed like a brilliant enough idea until a taxi driver told us that the Mona Lisa Hostel was Florence rather than Rome. That was a low point. Baffled, we decided to journey back to the street on which the hostel supposedly was one last time before accepting the fact that we might very well be homeless in a foreign country where we don't speak the language and have no cell phones. But, just like she always does, Mona pulled through! There she was hiding in an apartment building with absolutely no indication of her existence on the outside of the building at all. So, we went in, put our stuff down, miraculously found my friend, and were able to enjoy the streets of Rome knowing that we would not be sleeping on them that night.
Fast forward.
Yesterday, Emily and I were faced with the prospect of having no place to live yet again. To make a very long story very short, I have recently decided that Housing and Residence Life is even more useless than Disabilities Services (that's a story for another time, but trust me, I didn't think anything could be worse). Luckily, this time around we are in a city where the majority of people speak English, we have cell phones, and the streets around us are not infested with cats. The only downside? Less gelato and wine to live on if we do have to take to the streets.
Anyway, our situation worked out, and we won't be homeless next year, but my point is this: what would life be without the occasional adventure that has a very real possibility of ending terribly? An adventure during which you are not in control; an instance in which you have to completely surrender to hope and blind faith. That night in Rome was perhaps one of the most stressful nights of my life. Emily and I were both on edge, and neither one of us really had any solution to our problem. But, it was also a beautiful night, we were in Rome for the first time, and we knew that whatever happened would make for a good story one day.
I think it has.
Emily and I had just arrived in Rome around 8:00pm. Given that we had recently developed an obsession with the Mona Lisa after seeing her at the Lourve in Paris, we had booked two beds at the Mona Lisa Hostel in Rome for the weekend. Anyway, we were in a little bit of a hurry to get to our hostel because we were planning on meeting my friend there at 9:00pm (she was studying in Rome for the semester). So, we started walking from the train station, following the map we had printed out with ease. We found the narrow backstreet on which our hostel supposedly sat, and...it was no where to be found. We walked up and down the entire street again. No Mona. At this point we began frantically walking and yelling perhaps our favorite phrase that does not originate from The Princess Diaries: "WHERE YOU BE HIDIN' MONA?!" Mona did not respond. We wandered back to a main street to see if someone could help us (of course, the only italian words I know are musical terms, and I was pretty sure the word "arpeggio" wouldn't help us in this situation). Then we saw some taxis and thought that perhaps they had GPS and could direct us if we showed a driver the address. This seemed like a brilliant enough idea until a taxi driver told us that the Mona Lisa Hostel was Florence rather than Rome. That was a low point. Baffled, we decided to journey back to the street on which the hostel supposedly was one last time before accepting the fact that we might very well be homeless in a foreign country where we don't speak the language and have no cell phones. But, just like she always does, Mona pulled through! There she was hiding in an apartment building with absolutely no indication of her existence on the outside of the building at all. So, we went in, put our stuff down, miraculously found my friend, and were able to enjoy the streets of Rome knowing that we would not be sleeping on them that night.
Fast forward.
Yesterday, Emily and I were faced with the prospect of having no place to live yet again. To make a very long story very short, I have recently decided that Housing and Residence Life is even more useless than Disabilities Services (that's a story for another time, but trust me, I didn't think anything could be worse). Luckily, this time around we are in a city where the majority of people speak English, we have cell phones, and the streets around us are not infested with cats. The only downside? Less gelato and wine to live on if we do have to take to the streets.
Anyway, our situation worked out, and we won't be homeless next year, but my point is this: what would life be without the occasional adventure that has a very real possibility of ending terribly? An adventure during which you are not in control; an instance in which you have to completely surrender to hope and blind faith. That night in Rome was perhaps one of the most stressful nights of my life. Emily and I were both on edge, and neither one of us really had any solution to our problem. But, it was also a beautiful night, we were in Rome for the first time, and we knew that whatever happened would make for a good story one day.
I think it has.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Emily, Emily, Watch My Head Spin
Sometimes I get made fun of because I don't know very much about the lives of celebrities. In fact, there are many movie stars who I wouldn't recognize if I passed them on the street. However, there are three actresses who are exceptions to this rule, and they all happen to star in what is possibly my second favorite movie, The Devil Wears Prada. Yes, these leading ladies are Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep.
The Devil Wears Prada is perhaps the foundation of my love of tucked in shirts. This passed summer it was a rare sight to see me walking around camp with the hem of my shirt hanging loose. There were even many weeks during which I could be found not only with my shirt tucked in, but also hanging out with a group of campers with their shirts tucked in as well. This was usually the result of a camper, or group of campers, asking me why I always tuck my shirt in followed by this explanation by me:
At camp we wear casual clothes. Due to the nature of our daily activities, sundresses just aren't practical. However, The Devil Wears Prada taught me that, even when you are wearing sweats and a t-shirt, looks matter, at least to some extent. This may seem weird coming from me as I've never been one to enjoy dressing up. I don't think that it matters what brand is printed on the tag of your clothes, or whether you bought your shirt at J Crew or Goodwill. However, tucking your t-shirt into your athletic shorts can simply clean up your look a little bit, and in turn make you feel a little more confident and put together.
Also, a tucked-in shirt makes it easy to carry your chapstick even when you don't have pockets! Simply fold the end of your shirt up, tuck it in so that the lip hangs out at the waist ban, and stick your chapstick in your newly made make-shift pocket! It looks classy, and it's practical!
So, don't forget to class it up and tuck for luck!
Also, if anyone can tell me why this scene didn't make the final cut in The Devil Wears Prada, please let me know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn-81xkoCmk
The Devil Wears Prada is perhaps the foundation of my love of tucked in shirts. This passed summer it was a rare sight to see me walking around camp with the hem of my shirt hanging loose. There were even many weeks during which I could be found not only with my shirt tucked in, but also hanging out with a group of campers with their shirts tucked in as well. This was usually the result of a camper, or group of campers, asking me why I always tuck my shirt in followed by this explanation by me:
At camp we wear casual clothes. Due to the nature of our daily activities, sundresses just aren't practical. However, The Devil Wears Prada taught me that, even when you are wearing sweats and a t-shirt, looks matter, at least to some extent. This may seem weird coming from me as I've never been one to enjoy dressing up. I don't think that it matters what brand is printed on the tag of your clothes, or whether you bought your shirt at J Crew or Goodwill. However, tucking your t-shirt into your athletic shorts can simply clean up your look a little bit, and in turn make you feel a little more confident and put together.
Also, a tucked-in shirt makes it easy to carry your chapstick even when you don't have pockets! Simply fold the end of your shirt up, tuck it in so that the lip hangs out at the waist ban, and stick your chapstick in your newly made make-shift pocket! It looks classy, and it's practical!
So, don't forget to class it up and tuck for luck!
Also, if anyone can tell me why this scene didn't make the final cut in The Devil Wears Prada, please let me know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn-81xkoCmk
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Always Say Always
Since the start of Justin Bieber's career, whenever I met someone with "Bieber Fever" I would straight up roll my eyes. Based on hearing one of his songs (Baby, of course) maybe five times, I had judged him as one of those "not that talented annoying teeny bopper stars who is only popular because of his hair and will probably make some ridiculously stupid decision in five years that will end his career". I'm still not fully convinced that he's not just that, but I have gained much more respect for him after watching Never Say Never yesterday and not feeling any shame or embarrassment afterwards. Just hear me out.
First of all, in Never Say Never there are many pictures and video clips of Justin as a child, and HE IS THE CUTEST CHILD EVER. Second of all, he has a good voice. In most of his music there is so much going on that you can't really tell if his voice is all that great, but in the clips of him just singing you can tell that he is at least somewhat talented. Third of all, he's a REALLY good drummer. Forth of all, he's besties with his grandpa. Fifth of all, his relationships with all of the people he works with are super cute. Sixth of all, he didn't gain any of his fame from a family name or a connection he's had all of his life. Seventh of all, he just comes across as a nice guy, and he's from Canada, so it's probably true. Eighth of all, let's be honest, he does have nice hair.
Shockingly though, I didn't compose this blog post just to talk about why I now have a mild case of Bieber Fever. Rather, Never Say Never made me think: what if everyone had a documentary made about them. I think that if that were the case there would be a whole lot more respect in all corners of the world. I'm not saying that everyone would suddenly like everyone else. In fact, there would be some people that you would probably dislike even more after watching their documentary, but at least you might respect them. Also, we might actually discover where problems stem from so that if there is someone you disrespect for whatever reason, you can figure out why they act the way they do, and tackle the problem at its base rather than just calling them names and making it worse.
Obviously, this is never going to happen (although I suppose I should never say never), but my point is this: ALWAYS say ALWAYS to the chance to get to know people. That doesn't mean you have to be best friends with everyone or share your deepest darkest secrets with them, it simply means that you give every person the chance to define him or herself rather than letting the definitions and judgements of others become the false truth over time.
Also, here is a video of Justin Bieber playing the drums when he was nine:
First of all, in Never Say Never there are many pictures and video clips of Justin as a child, and HE IS THE CUTEST CHILD EVER. Second of all, he has a good voice. In most of his music there is so much going on that you can't really tell if his voice is all that great, but in the clips of him just singing you can tell that he is at least somewhat talented. Third of all, he's a REALLY good drummer. Forth of all, he's besties with his grandpa. Fifth of all, his relationships with all of the people he works with are super cute. Sixth of all, he didn't gain any of his fame from a family name or a connection he's had all of his life. Seventh of all, he just comes across as a nice guy, and he's from Canada, so it's probably true. Eighth of all, let's be honest, he does have nice hair.
Shockingly though, I didn't compose this blog post just to talk about why I now have a mild case of Bieber Fever. Rather, Never Say Never made me think: what if everyone had a documentary made about them. I think that if that were the case there would be a whole lot more respect in all corners of the world. I'm not saying that everyone would suddenly like everyone else. In fact, there would be some people that you would probably dislike even more after watching their documentary, but at least you might respect them. Also, we might actually discover where problems stem from so that if there is someone you disrespect for whatever reason, you can figure out why they act the way they do, and tackle the problem at its base rather than just calling them names and making it worse.
Obviously, this is never going to happen (although I suppose I should never say never), but my point is this: ALWAYS say ALWAYS to the chance to get to know people. That doesn't mean you have to be best friends with everyone or share your deepest darkest secrets with them, it simply means that you give every person the chance to define him or herself rather than letting the definitions and judgements of others become the false truth over time.
Also, here is a video of Justin Bieber playing the drums when he was nine:
That's all, folks!
*credit goes to Emily Tuttle for the title of this blog post.
*credit goes to Emily Tuttle for the title of this blog post.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Oh, The Places We've Gone!
Around this time of year most minds are filled with thoughts of what the next twelve months will bring. However, right now I can't help but look back on the stressful, terrifying, and yet ridiculously exciting day that was January 6th, 2012. Here's what was going on in my life that day:
1. I was still recovering from the stomach flu.
2. I had just been tested for strep throat (it turned out to be just a bad cold, though).
3. I had recently graduated from months filled with a wheel chair, a walker, and finally crutches, but I still had a limp that was so bad I leaned at about a 30 degree angle every time I stepped on my right leg, which was healing from a femur fracture.
4. I had a stomach ulcer that occasionally caused me severe pain after I ate.
5. I was staring at piles of clothes, and a suitcase in which I was sure they would never fit.
6. I couldn't figure out for the life of me how to print my boarding pass that I would need the next day to fly to Madrid, Spain where I would be living for the next four months.
Basically, I was a wreck.
I've never been one to fear being away from home, or quiver in the face of new adventures. In fact, until January 6th, the day before I was set to leave, I had been counting every minute leading up to the trip with great excitement. The thought of spending multiple months with an entire ocean separating me from everything familiar to me was not in the least scary, but rather the most exhilarating thing I could possibly think of. Then, the nerves hit. I was suddenly overwhelmed, but luckily I only stayed that way until my plane took off the next morning.
Side note: I love airplanes. In fact, I was seriously considering a career as a pilot until my senior year in high school.
Back track: After finally fitting everything into one suitcase that miraculously was within the weight limits prescribed by British Airways, checking about 9128374 times that I had my passport, watching my dad check about 983475 more times that I had my passport, and dressing in an airport security-efficient outfit complete with no belt and slip-on shoes, I was off to the O'Hare airport on the morning of January 7th. I hobbled my way through the security line while watching my mom cry, terrified that she would all of a sudden decide I couldn't go, and found my gate. Finally, it was time to board, and eventually take-off. As the engines of the plane started up I remember vividly this realization that there was no going back now. I also remember this to be the most relaxing feeling I have ever felt. Perhaps it should have been scary, or anxiety-provoking, but the truth is I have never felt more calm. Beginning in that very moment, the world was quite literally at my finger tips.
In the words of Dr. Seuss, this is exactly how I felt:
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
1. I was still recovering from the stomach flu.
2. I had just been tested for strep throat (it turned out to be just a bad cold, though).
3. I had recently graduated from months filled with a wheel chair, a walker, and finally crutches, but I still had a limp that was so bad I leaned at about a 30 degree angle every time I stepped on my right leg, which was healing from a femur fracture.
4. I had a stomach ulcer that occasionally caused me severe pain after I ate.
5. I was staring at piles of clothes, and a suitcase in which I was sure they would never fit.
6. I couldn't figure out for the life of me how to print my boarding pass that I would need the next day to fly to Madrid, Spain where I would be living for the next four months.
Basically, I was a wreck.
I've never been one to fear being away from home, or quiver in the face of new adventures. In fact, until January 6th, the day before I was set to leave, I had been counting every minute leading up to the trip with great excitement. The thought of spending multiple months with an entire ocean separating me from everything familiar to me was not in the least scary, but rather the most exhilarating thing I could possibly think of. Then, the nerves hit. I was suddenly overwhelmed, but luckily I only stayed that way until my plane took off the next morning.
Side note: I love airplanes. In fact, I was seriously considering a career as a pilot until my senior year in high school.
Back track: After finally fitting everything into one suitcase that miraculously was within the weight limits prescribed by British Airways, checking about 9128374 times that I had my passport, watching my dad check about 983475 more times that I had my passport, and dressing in an airport security-efficient outfit complete with no belt and slip-on shoes, I was off to the O'Hare airport on the morning of January 7th. I hobbled my way through the security line while watching my mom cry, terrified that she would all of a sudden decide I couldn't go, and found my gate. Finally, it was time to board, and eventually take-off. As the engines of the plane started up I remember vividly this realization that there was no going back now. I also remember this to be the most relaxing feeling I have ever felt. Perhaps it should have been scary, or anxiety-provoking, but the truth is I have never felt more calm. Beginning in that very moment, the world was quite literally at my finger tips.
In the words of Dr. Seuss, this is exactly how I felt:
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
Today, January 6, 2013, I am feeling stress-free and healthy, my stomach has healed, and on a typical day my right leg feels no different than my left. In many ways I am much better off than I was a year ago. However, if given the choice I would, in a heart-beat, turn the clock back so I could do it all again. I remember the entire semester I was in Spain feeling like I would be ready to go home when that time came, but on May 10th that certainly wasn't the case.
To all of my friends about to embark on the same journey I did a year ago,
“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”
It will be the time of your lives. That, I can guarantee.
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