Pics of snow-day with Otis the Otter and Move in Day! Blog below!
Hello,
Well it's my first official day of the program! Today I met everyone, moved in, had an orientation session, and then went to a restaurant in China Town. All in all, I'd say it went pretty well. The people in the program, including my roommates, are nice and chill. All of them also seem very smart and outgoing as well. So that's good.
One interesting thing about the program is that there are 12 students from one school. That's almost 1/2 of the entire program. I think that makes it a little harder to break into the groove simply because the majority of people are not in my position. I suppose that puts them at a slight advantage. It is a little weird being around so many people I don't know. It's kind of like being a freshman all over again...in that regard at least.
I do have a few advantages though. I'm used to city life to a certain extent. And I have been to D.C. a few times, so a lot of things are familiar. Overall, I really just want the week to get started and for this whole thing to get rolling. There's kind of an edgy and anxious feeling in the air, most likely because everyone is starting their internships tomorrow and has little idea of what to expect.
Have I mentioned how badly I want work and this week to get started? Lol, I don't want to be redundant but the sooner it gets started the quicker a routine will develop. Routines may be boring sometimes, but they make time go by quicker and relieve anxiety. I think I need that.
I'm confident that in a week or two all that will fall into place. By that time, it will be mid February. It's astonishing how quickly this year has gone by. It seems like yesterday I was moving into the frat house, or helping Ursula get all her stuff into her second floor apartment. I know its only been a few days up here, but I already miss so many people! I hope everyone back home is doing well, and for those of you about to go abroad, ;) -- I wish the you the best and safest of travels.
Wish me the best of luck tomorrow! Big, big day...
Friday, January 29, 2010
Hello there,
What an eventful day. It started at about 5:50 a.m. (CST) when I woke up and started getting ready. Thankfully, most of my stuff was already packed up and ready to go. Long story short, we packed up the stuff in the car, drove to the airport and flew into DC. For those of you who are really loyal readers, here is the long story:
The flight was really good, probably the smoothest one I've ever been on. I sat next to this one middle aged dude and made some small talk. Eventually, I told him I was working at the Democratic National Committee. His political views could best be described as populist. We got into some arguments about a couple of subjects. One, he said that the government should be completely, 100% transparent with the general public. Although I thought that was a nice idea in theory, I countered by saying that there were some things that the general public should not know in order to prevent mass hysteria (i.e. numerous failed terrorist threats). He didn't bend much, but I think he saw where I was coming from. He also had some views on the Islamic world that were a little misguided. He basically asserted that extremist/jihadist Islam was a dominant theme in Arabic culture. I disagreed citing that there were 1 billion Muslims in the world, most of whom just want to lead a peaceful and happy life.
All in all, it could have been worse. He wasn't a total jackass, nor was he outrageously out of line with my own ideology. In the end he just dozed off, which worked out because I really just wanted to read and not deal with an eccentric personality.
So then we landed and went to the hotel. Man, this place is nice! I don't know how we're affording it, but I guess it ain't on my tab. The hotel is really modern in style--kinda like IKEA came in with an unlimited budget. The hotel offers you a "pillow menu" where you can order up to 6 different types of pillows. Some massage, others stay firm, and others fluff. If any of you travel nerds are interest, it's called "the liaison".
After we got decently settled into "the liaison," we walked around for a couple of hours (probably around 4 miles). It was helpful because I got to trace the route to and from work and figure out where the nearest grocery store was. It was rough because it was in the 20's all day and my feet felt like icesicles after 4 miles of walking.
And here I am. I felt like this day would never come, but it finally did. Sunday is orientation, Monday is work. Going to be busy. Going to be stressful. Gonna be fun!
The always surreal experience of packing up one's life/future plans into three bags has been the primary occurrence during the last couple o' days. In a strange way, I kind of like packing. It reminds of how much neat stuff I have. Over the break, I really have compiled quite a collection of snazzy clothes, which will certainly come in handy in a city known for its snazz.
I don't really know how to feel about the fact that in 72 hours I will be in a completely different city for 3 1/2 months. People keep asking me how I feel and I keep giving them the same scripted response. Am I excited? Of course I'm excited. Mostly though, I'm just uncertain. I don't think I will really know what DC will be like until I'm actually there a while. I can tell you that I'm nervous but cautiously optimistic.
Now I know what you may be thinking. Tim, D.C. is a beautiful, modern American city. There is nothing to be nervous about. Hell, there isn't even a language barrier.
Well, retard, I know all that. I'm not nervous about a cultural adjustment, I'm nervous about working a 32 hour job while taking two classes. It's going to be hard and very time consuming just to get through that schedule alone--nevermind the adjustment of living 1000 miles from home with a group full of strangers.
On the whole though, it's good to be nervous. I discussed that more in my last post. With the nervousness also comes excitement. I'm excited about rolling into work Monday morning and being shown around the DNC. I'm excited about the prospect of having a fun and challenging job, while working with a lot of cool people.
Still though, it seems like Monday is far away. The past two days have crept by rather slowly. Tomorrow and Thursday are important days--I've got to make sure everything is in order and I'm ready to roll. Friday, I will be a headin out. Once I'm in D.C., I'll stay in a hotel with my pops for two days (he's insisting on going and seeing the city) and get acquainted with the city--i.e. see where my office is and where my apt is. Then Sunday is move in day.
So now you know the schedule. I bet you're ecstatic. Besides packing and pondering about my upcoming adventure, I've been reading this great book called Three Cups of Tea. It's about a "real life Indiana Jones" (Greg Mortenson) who stumbles upon a small mountain village in Pakistan called Korphe, after failing to climb a nearby mountain. He fell in love with the village and decided to build a school there. Of course, building a school on the side of a giant mountain wasn't easy. Throughout the part of the book I've read, he keeps befriending and running into these wonderful people. Rich philanthropists in America, mountaineers, and of course the wonderful people who populate the region of the world he wants to help so much.
There was one passage I found particularly powerful. A group of thugs (basically the Pakistani mountain mafia) came by and said to the Korphe Village Chief/Mortenson "you can't build a school, it's against Islamic Law". The chief resisted and the thugs forced him to give up the villages 12 largest rams. Rams in Korphe basically = first born. They're the most valuable possession the villagers can own. So everyone was really upset, but complied anyway. Later on, the village chief had a talk with Mortenson. This is how it went:
Chief-- "Do you see how beautiful this Koran is?" Mort-- "Yes." Chief--"I can't read it. I can't read anything. This is the greatest sadness in my life. I'll do anything so the children of my village never have to know this feeling. I'll pay any price so they have the education they deserve."
Incredible. This isn't just a story about an awesome American. And it certainly isn't a story about an awesome American coming into the save the day for a bunch of poor, helpless people. This is a story about how wonderful people can be. It gives me hope that wherever you go, even such a harsh and remote environment like the Karokoram mountain range, there are good people. In order to do something great, you've got to have faith that there are good people out there who will help your cause out-- perhaps even save or ressurrect it.
We do need good people. Perhaps one of those good people will come through in the clutch and give a good state of the union address tomorrow night. I wrote more about that, check it out my other blog on the megaphone website.
In my last blog, I noted that I'm going to miss some people. I most definitely am. One of them I'm talking to right now. And I'm very lucky because she just sent me a wonderful email!! She's very sweet and I miss her a whole lot!!!
I think that's all I got right now. I'll write more before I leave, probably the night before.
Good day everyone (who actually might read this)! Last night was my last Saturday evening in Texas for about 3 1/2 months. That's right, a week from today I will be in our great capitol city. As a matter of fact, at this exact moment next week I will begin my program's "orientation", which will probably consist of a dinner in Chinatown and a conversation about the rules, regulations, and recommendations to promote social harmony amongst my self and my fellow program-mates. After the orientation, I will get settled into my new home and prepare myself for my first day of work at the Democratic National Committee.
As this break comes to a close, I feel the need to contemplate and reflect. The past year of my life has been an incredible personal journey and the next year promises to be just as (if not more) impactful. When I look back on the past several months, I realize how much I've grown up. When I came to Southwestern, I did not really possess a lot of personal goals, direction, or sense of higher purpose. A lot has changed, and I have begun to understand the value of a college education-- what it really means and how one can really take advantage of all it has to offer.
I still have a long way to go, and to a great extent I believe that is what this semester is about. But by no means am I overconfident. Living in DC, working a challenging job, taking classes, and meeting a lot of new people are intimidating challenges. I'm definitely outside of my comfort zone. Fortunately, that's kind of the point-- getting out of the comfort zone. I need to challenge myself, I need to feel uncomfortable, and I need to feel a little scared. In a nutshell, that's where I'm at right now. Nervous...but in a good way.
On another note, I'm sad to say goodbye to everyone and everything at Southwestern. It's weird not being there when so much is going on. It's just as strange to part ways (albeit temporarily) with people I love and care deeply about. I hung out with my good buddy Tyler Rankin last night. Fittingly, we went to a local dive bar called the Oui Lounge (if you're from FW you've probably heard of it) and had a few beers/shot the shit around (figuratively speaking). He filled me in on the happenings at SU, particularly the new and harsher drug policy. A little background--apparently if you get caught with a "usable" amount of Marijuana on you, Southwestern will turn you over to the Williamson County PD. I don't want to digress too much, but the policy is IMHO, unneccessary and misguided. However, I disagree with all the fired up (slight pun intended) pot-heads on campus who are chanting "SU or SS?!", which absurdly compares Southwestern University Administration to gestapo/Nazis. Nazism resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people. You getting a misdemeanor (if that) for smoking a bowl behind the greenhouse PALES in comparison.
Sorry for the digression. Anyway, we were at the Oui lounge and I realized how much I was going to miss havin Tyler and so many other friends around all the time. My Fraternity brothers, whom I celebrated bid day with, are absolutely incredible. They're all really excited for me, but at the same time I am excited for them as well. We ushered in a group of 17 new pledges and all of the are TOP NOTCH DUDES. I'm sad I won't be here to get to know them this semester, but I know they will turn out to be great KA's and even better friends.
So over the past couple of weeks, I've had some emotional send offs and temporary goodbye's. I think you can begin to tell how much you love someone when you realize just how much you will miss them. And I'm going to miss a lot of people, so I reckon there's a lot of love out there.
Well, that's about all I can pour out right now. There will be more, I plan to write as much as possible this semester.
