another year begins

I moved into my room yesterday afternoon. I was assigned the Single room on the first floor, but I talked to the R.D. and snagged a Double Room on the third floor all to myself. Twice as much room, the same cost. Kyle is the R.A., which is sweet: we have been good friends for a while. I worked with him at Joseph Badger Meadows in the summer of 2007. We had our Hilltop Coffee Shop Meeting this afternoon, which was fun—except that, for some reason, I’ve been sick all day with nausea and a horrible, throbbing headache. Not on the level of a migraine, but torturous nonetheless. On top of all this, my car stereo is broken, the brakes in my car have gone out (resulting in me nearly hitting a pedestrian; thank God I was able to throw the emergency brake!); my phone is trashed for some unexplainable reason; and some of the money that is supposed to be in my school account to pay for school hasn’t arrived, and I won’t be able to eat meals until it does (this is the second time this has happened, and it’s quite aggravating). 

It’s fun watching the freshmen scramble around, their nervousness burning like Roman torches underneath their excitement. I remember my days as a freshman; they feel so long ago. So much has happened since then. Countless relationships. Countless heartbreaks. “Who I Am” has completely changed—in some ways, for the better; in others, for the worse. “Who We Are” is constantly evolving, the result of circumstances inside and outside our control. My perceptions of God, Christianity, and the world have changed. I’ve come to realize what college is all about—education. It’s not about building great friendships. That happens, but it’s not the point. My father told me, “You’ll make lots of friends at college—but don’t forget your friends from back home. They’re the ones who will be with you for life.” He was right. Most of my friendships from freshman year have fizzled out—but my friendships in my hometown grow stronger with each year, even though we don’t see one another as often.

It was a good summer. An excellent summer. I grew a lot. I realized where more changes need to be made in who I am. But it’s good to be starting my fourth and last Fall Semester at C.C.U. I graduate in May, and I couldn’t be more excited. As to my plans after graduation, that’s nine months away, and thus too early to think about. I imagine I’ll either get an apartment around my hometown or move down to Kentucky and live around my extended family down there. Who knows? I’ll know in nine months—and if you endure my writing for that long, you may, too!