Afternoon,

A week from today, I turn 21 + 1. Hard to get excited about turning 22, it just ain't that bigguva deal. I don't get anymore sweet perks, and it symbolizes my slow progression into the "real world," which is somewhat dreadful due to the fact that I still lack a concrete plan.

However, rather than viewing this birthday as a dreary marker of aging, I will choose to see it as a celebration of the past year of my life. I accomplished quite a bit during my 21st year. I successfully completed my term as Fraternity President, made Dean's List, worked at the DNC in Washington, D.C., and had a great time as a camp counselor for one of the best outdoor camps in Texas. All these triumphs made me grow a lot as a person, and I will celebrate that for sure come this weekend. At the same time, I hope to make new goals for this next year. 21 was great, but there's no reason that 22 can't be even better. It's my senior year of college, so I've got to set the bar pretty high. No doubt, a lot of shit needs to get done. Plans need to be made and goals need to be accomplished.

I pretty much see my life as a struggle for self improvement, anyhow. It's kind of a pain in the ass, but it makes me tick. I'm disappointed I didn't have time or the assets necessary this summer to start learning Spanish. Also, I wish I could have had more time to work in politics these past few months. I did, however, pick up an instrument, have a great time at work, earn lots of $$$, and live in a big city all by myself (more or less).

Here's a list of things I'd like to work on starting now. The list will include everything from personal improvements to things I'd like to do and is open to amendments. Without further adieu:

Improve my writing (this blog has been frustrating)

Earn at least a 3.8 GPA

Improve organizational skills

Begin learning Spanish

Find a way to work in politics in some form/fashion

Still make time for leisure

I will think about these goals a lot in the next couple of weeks and how to go about accomplishing them. Undoubtedly, there will be additions to this list. I believe it's a good start for now. I've got a crazy week coming up; lots of tiring activities at camp, and then driving to Fort Worth on Friday.

Keep on keepin on

Tim

All of my life I have been an accident prone, awkward ass, absent-minded, general fuck up. I am about to turn 22 years old, and still cannot conquer many of these flaws. One of the greatest challenges has and always will be my absent mindedness. How can one correct something that, by definition, occurs within one's own mind? How do you go about improving your ability to remember things on a daily, hourly basis.? I don't know, honestly.

Lately, my strategy has consisted of going through my head and remembering everything I have, while developing quick little systems to double check. I've just about mastered not losing my phone keys, or wallet, simply by saying "phone, keys, wallet," followed by patting each one of my pockets before I go anywhere.

Other items have given me more trouble though. Particularly clothing, sunglasses, water bottles, and other personal items. On a daily basis, it's hard to fairly assess my idiot level because of my job's circumstances. It's hard to double check everything in my head while chasing after kids in the hot Texas sun. Needless to say, I've already lost a water bottle and pair of sunglasses this summer.

Every time I lose or misplace something, I just feel really, really mentally inadequate. Like, if this were the cave man days, I'd be the caveman eaten by the saber tooth because I left my backup spear at the fire pit. Not a comforting thought. You'd think such a fatal flaw would be weeded out via natural selection, but no. My parents are just, if not more, goof prone than I am.

Needless to say, I'm stewing over this. If any of the three persons (and that's being generous) who actually read this slowly dying blog have any suggestions, besides "quit being retarded" I'd be happy to hear them.

On another note, I've been having an ongoing "political debate" with several members of my fraternity over the past couple of days. The politics of my fraternity is the only thing I don't like about it. Sadly, that's all many of them ever seem to want to talk to me about. Whatever

Have a good one

Tim

good day mates,

Today, I feel like I need to write a little bit about my life inside the co-op. Like anything in life, there are pros and cons. Let's start with what I like most:

First, I enjoy the since of communal responsibility. Every week, there are 2 meetings where we discuss the happenings and logistics of the co-op. A good way to stay up to date on what is going on in your living space; this is perk is probably not available in your average apartment complex. Second, I really love the food situation. The food is almost always good (imho) and they even provide a vegetarian option at every meal. Third, I do enjoy my labor. It's a good way to spend time with people and cooperate to do something positive. Finally, I couldn't afford to live anywhere else. This is by far the most in expensive way to live in Austin. For about $1000, I get my rent, food, and utilities covered for the entire summer. Boom. Can't beat that.

Now, onto some of my difficulties...

First, I can't say that i've had the time, energy, or desire to socialize a whole bunch with my housemates. I've got a cool roommate, and we've made friends, and I consider myself to be acquaintances with some others. However, I just don't feel like I really "fit in" here, so to speak. I have plenty of excuses for this, and I think most of them are pretty valid. I work close to 40 hours a week, and most of socializing goes on with my friends at work (who are all my age). After that, I have my friends from SU that come around Austin and still live in G-Town. When I'm not hanging out with co-workers or SU friends, I'm probably with Ursula or seeing if I can spend time with my family. In short, I don't have a lot of time to hang out with my co-opers. Don't get me wrong, I do try. Last weekend I watched some world cup, hung out by the pool, and stopped by the party. But after a long day's work, nothing beats a night of eating, chilling and going to sleep early. That's just not the general routine of co-opers though.

Either way, it's only 1 month till I go back to SU and start up a whole different routine, with a whole new group of people. So, I better not get too comfortable (or uncomfortable). I've got a month left to enjoy Austin, and I plan on doing exactly that.

Today I said farewell to the soon to be Taiwan bound Tyler Rankin. The goodbye was strangely anti-climactic, not too different than any other goodbye we've ever shared. I think Tyler understands that good-byes are sometimes only as hard as you make them out to be. He didn't want a drawn out, overly emotional send off, and I don't blame him.

However, I could not help but reflect on our friendship at least a little bit. On the way home, I tried to think of the first time Tyler and I hung out as "friends." I couldn't think of a single moment or event. But, I will always remember my first year of college and how much Tyler helped me out as both an RA and friend.

Tyler and I have celebrated the good times and helped eachother through the not so good times. He's been a defining part of my college experience, and with his departure, I know that next year will just not be the same. Simultaneously, I feel as if my own time at Southwestern is coming to a close at a more personal, acute level than I did before.

Last night was one of the best ones of my summer. I went to Georgetown around 6 PM and met up with Cal. We then stopped by Truman Hunt's house, where he was setting up for his raging 21st birthday house-party. Truman is such a genuinely nice person, and I have missed him a lot. He told me that he "missed the shit" out of me and couldn't wait for the year to begin. Ditto, friend. Ditto. After a couple of hours over there, I went to Fish City Grill--where Matt bartends--to meet up with Tyler and Garret. We hung out there for a while, and then went back to Truman's, pre-partied, then drove (via a designated driver) to 6th street. After hitting up a couple of clubs, we went to my co-op party. By the time we got there, the beer was all gone. However, the party was still bumpin due to our clutch as hell swimming pool. Everyone was either gathered around it, or swimming in it. It's a liberating feeling to swan dive off a diving board in nothing but your skivies, in the middle of a raging party. Thanks Pearl Street for giving me that opportunity.

To close out the night, the four of us, along with my roommate Adam, got some food at Kerbey Lane. Looking back at the night, it all seems kind of like a dream. I hung out with so many different groups of people, in completely different settings, while doing different things. I can't say I've ever had a night like it in College.

So, I guess you could say that it was a proper send off for Tyler. And, it was a good experience for me as well. I was feeling a little down yesterday, but last night successfully reversed my spirits.

Sending off a friend
I contemplate my own path
Always embrace change.

Hello,

If you're ever in Austin on a Tuesday night, wondering what to do, you should head to Flipnotics Coffee Shop and Eric Honaker play. I went last Tuesday, and everything about the show was great. He's a terrific musician, with a terrific group, inside of a very mellow, groovy venue. Eric can play the fiddle like nobody's business, and hits it pretty hard on the axe as well. If you're lucky, he may spend a few minutes ranting about the time(s) he's spent with "indian tribes" as well. Bottom line is, he's a great artist, and he performs weekly for free at a great venue. Can't beat it.

I think Eric provided me with a lot of good energy throughout the week. We had a lot of difficulties with our group, but things seemed to turn a corner last week. Despite my apprehension, the campout was fantastic. The only bump came when the kids went to sleep, and homesickness/longing for mommies commenced. However, the little ones' complaints and tears warmed my heart more than they stressed out my brain. I forgot how much 9 and 10 year olds care about their parents and homes. It was, for lack of a better phrase, fuckin' cute. Reminds me why I took the job.

After the campout, the weekend came. And what a weekend it was. Ursula came up Friday (bringing the rain with her) and we drove to Funky Town to meet my parents for dinner and weekend festivites. We had a terrific weekend, filled with lots o' fun stuff. I went to the Stockyards for the first time in forever and loved it. So many cool stores, restaraunts and saloons. Gotta love it. Fourth of July was celebrated by an all American bbq and baseball game/fireworks show. Despite the outcome, the Rangers game was a good way to spend the evening. Ursula and I had never been to a baseball game together. I think we're good baseball watching partners. Hopefully, that will translate into football this fall, when the Cowboys begin their season of domination.

I've returned to the Co-op now, and am starin down the barrell of another work week. This one looks like a breeze though--lots of tours and field trips. If I get time, I will write more in here in a few days. I need more time to just jot down some musings, rather than simply recount the events of my past week.

Until Later!


Tim

Hey gang,

The past week was remarkably eventful. Fate blessed with me with 12 of the most rambunctious hellions the Austin area has to offer. All but two of these children are overly hyper, prone to temper tantrums/meltdowns, rude, snotty, and hard to control. Leaving work felt more like a retreat than a drive home. Over the weekend my co-counselor Laura and I held a strategy session at Thunder Bird Coffee in order to quell some of the chaos. I had the day off today, and I heard the kids were better...hopefully their behavior will continue to improve.

I'm a little sad to see this weekend come to an end. Ursula came up and we, along with Wouter and co., hopped around the hill country in search of the restaurants, bars, and experiences every true Texan must visit/partake in before they die. Wouter and Ursula decided to begin this mythical quest of experience via Texas Monthly Magazine, which featured an article titled "Texas Bucket List: 63 things to do in Texas before you die." Despite the reminder of our inevitable doom, the bucket list thing is really, really cool. Here's a list of what we did, in chronological order:

Swam at barton springs pool
Ate dinner at the Gristmill in Gruene
Danced at Gruene Hall
Woke up real early and went to Snow's BBQ in Lexington (it's only open one day a week)
Floated the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels

Everything we did seemed to compliment eachother in some way. Floating felt great after stuffing our bodies with beef, and country dancing fit in well with a country meal. The only thing I feel disappointed with is my dancing skills, which I thought progressed more after lots of thinking and mental practicing. I guess the only way to get better at something is to actually do it.

I'm currently hanging out in my room. To pass the time, I've been playing some guitar, reading, and working on this blog. I've come to really enjoy the hours I spend by myself, working on various hobbies and striving for self improvement. The co-op is great because I don't have to eat by myself, and there are always people around to socialize with if I so choose. But, as I implied, I've really come to value my "alone-time," if you will. I don't really understand why, but I feel as though a bit of solitude is very good for me right now. Very soon, for instance, I'll start learning spanish (via a fellow co-opper's rosetta stone) and planning more for next semester and beyond. I believe I will remember this summer as one filled with learning, growth, and self searching. The thought of that makes me :).

This week will be jam packed with stuff as well. Going camping with my group on Thursday, and then going to Fort Worth with Ursula on Friday. I will update later

Ciao,

Tim

Beyond...

It has been a while, and there is no way I can describe everything that has happened in the past 1 1/2 months. Long story short, I've moved down to Austin, TX, where I live at a student run co-op and work as a camp counselor at the Austin Nature and Science Center.

At first, adjusting was not easy. Washington DC and Austin, TX have completely different vibes to them. The people are different, the ebb and flow of the cities polarize one another...the two cities have pretty much nothing in common, which is somewhat ironic given that they are both capitol cities of some kind. On top of that, my job at the ANSC could not be more different than my internship in Washington. Now, as opposed to the spring, I work outside, with children, teaching them how to have fun in the outdoors, while cultivating a sense of respect for the environment around them. That isn't exactly a press office intern's job description.

Despite some initial difficulties--which i think came about because I was adjusting so much-- I'm really fond of my job. I've learned so much about the hill country--i.e., where to go, what to do--, and so much about myself (I'm good at rock climbing?), thanks to this job. Simultaneously, I feel like I get to make a positive difference through my role as a camp counselor.

Strangely, the more I like this job, the more I miss my last one. Working in DC was occasionally taxing, but it was also somewhat addictive. I now yearn for the hustle and bustle that was once the source of occasional stress. And, needless to say, I miss constantly being inundated with matters concerning politics and policy. Perhaps in the future, I'll find a career path that allows me to combine the best aspects of both of these lives.

More to come soon..I have a lot of goals for the summer and the next semester, and I haven't even begun to talk about my living situation. So, barring some strange occurrence, I will be writing again very soon.


Best,


Tim