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.
Keep on keepin on
Tim
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