Well, in a little more than 12 hours, Urbandale will be far in the rear-view mirror. Tonight was a great way to say goodbye to relatives and celebrate Matt's 5th Bday.
I think i've mentioned it before, but it's hard for me to realize and appreciate all of the family support and attention that i recieve here until it's gone. That is to say, i know that i should be feeling sad, reflective, pensive and anxious, but at this point, I am feeling pretty blank. I am nervous for the things out of my control- the flight, the arragements, the timing and logistics of travel- but at this point it is hard to gauge or realize the long term effects of being without close family (at neatly timed intervals- see also, fall break etc.)
Bottom line ( i seem to try to get to the 'bottom line' a lot).... well, bottom line is I am lucky to have this opportunity and to have friends that are anxiously awaiting my return to luther.
I'm getting to the point that this blog is more or less a lame summary of my feelings of nervousness and anxiety and less about actual happenings, so until something big happens, I'll write later.
Luther in 12 Hours Chicago in 5 Days London and Nottingham in 6
Awesome.
Enjoy this video of Matt going catatonic, practicing his Ranger moves.
I'm not sure if this will work out, but here (maybe) is a video from the top of Long's Peak in Colorado ---- you might recognize it from the Colorado state Quarter---
Crap. I just spent the last 30 minutes away from packing, pouring my heart out, and then it all crashed down.
It was deep too, I promise.
Bottom line: Last week i figuretively worked my ass off. My work schedule: 6am-915 work at KTC with little kids before they start their school day. 10am-3pm work at Quizno's, making sandwiches for 3 hrs without stop as a line snakes out the door and greedy West Des Moines patrons complain about the wait and drive off in their H2s. Finally, from 315pm-6pm work again at KTC with bratty Johnston kids until their parents pick them up.... in H2s.
Money is nice, and paying off ipod videos is even better, but there were a lot of crappy feelings that i went through last week, rooted mostly in the fact that a transition is about to happen, and i feel like i've missed another. In leaving DSM for Luther and Luther for Nottingham, I'm moving from summer mode into schooling/living/traveling mode- sad in the way i'll be leaving my kids behind and also sad in the fact that i've felt left behind as well.
Not to be melodramatic or sappy, but staying at home while the rest of the College World moves back to campus is a strange experience. Essentially, i feel like the kid that couldn't get into school or decided to live at home and get a job. Driving around at 1pm on a tuesday in DSM while everyone else i know is at school somewhere makes me feel like a bum. Not so much a bum as a guy that knows (had I decided to not sign up for Nottingham) that i could/would be at school.... My biggest epiphany this week was that THE WORLD DOES NOT STOP WHILE COLLEGE KIDS ARE AT SCHOOL. Weird, i know. For some reason, coming back to Urbandale after spending time at school was always as if somehow time had slowed down or that everyone was pumped to see me. Selfish, yes. Egocentric, duh. But really, doesn't everyone feel as if they've been missed when they return from somewhere far away? The parallels between this realization and my upcoming trip(s)- to luther and eventually back from Nottingham- the parallels are pretty strong.
Aside from work, I was able to roadtrip it one last time... as well as say goodbye to my best friend from the summer, jax. Saying goodbye is always hard, but only when you think about the missed opportunities that lie ahead. I' m not really one to get emotional during goodbyes... for some reason i can't fully grasp what 9mo. away represents. I know it will hit me, and it did as i drove away from jacque's house, but for now I can only be happy for the opportunity that i've been given as well as the opportunity that she has taken advantage of at a new school.
As far as Beloit goes, it really helped me deal with some fears that i've been catching hints of . Fear One: starting over at a new school. Basically, being able to meet a crap ton of new people up at Beloit helped me gain faith in people in general as well as the goodnatured quality of most people... at least in the midwest at a small school. I had a great time, and the 'european atmosphere' as i'll call it (it was the furthest thing from any semblance of American order) pumped me up for a great time next year.
The pics from Beloit are above- the first being Erin, Lisa and me doing some awesome handstands at what is known as THE WALL. The second (if it downloaded) is a pic during the dance party that some house threw.... pretty awesome
As i head to luther, i'm excited for the chance to see old friends, figure out these damned loans, and get one step closer to the best experience of my life.....
I never cease to amaze myself---- this is a double post.... i thought i messed up, but here it is- the post i alluded to in my most recent update (the post i thought i had lost...)
Anyway, here are the best chunks that i left out on the other one:
I really hated to say goodbye to the kids, especially after an entire summer with some of them. There's something about the pure, unadulterated, amazingly selfish nature of kids that is so close to human nature. While adults will avoid or dance around a subject, kids will come out and tell you that you have something in your teeth, or that you pissed them off. Spending a summer with them and then more time once their school actually started became a bit much---especially with spoiled j-town brats, but i'll miss them just the same.
and again, it's always nice to read John's blog and keep in touch with Zach and know that they're adapting as well as any people ever could. If they can do it, i can at least put up a decent attempt.
This is what HAPPENED when 9 students from the middle of nowhere WERE picked to live in a flat in the middle of Nottingham, England.
This is what HAPPENED when people stopped being polite, and start being REAL.
This WAS Luther- Nottingham Campus, 2006-2007
...And now I'm back.
