Spontaneity

First of all, I should rename the last post; I doubt there will be a official "part 2," though I'm sure this semester will get mentioned when I actually do write about something....

For those of you who don't know, I did something spontaneous last month and bought plane tickets out to Alabama (via Atlanta) to visit one of my mission companions, Elisangela. It was something that as I sat chatting with her and found out her husband was leaving for three months, I wanted nothing more than to go hang out with her. The problem was, he was leaving right before school started, and will get back right before school ends. Looking at a calendar I realized I could go on a weekend, but a three day weekend would be best, and there just happened to be Labor Day coming (the only three day weekend in the semester), so I frantically starting checking prices and found a pretty good (well, for crossing the country, pretty good) deal. I stared at the screen for a long time, debated, asked Elisangela a million times if it would be okay, debated some more, looked at my money situation, hovered my mouse over the "book flight now" button, and finally, took some deep breaths, and decided right then and there "I'm single, I have the money, I have nothing holding me back," and proceeded to click on the "book flight now" button. It was almost exhilirating, almost unreal. I feel like I am the antithesis of spontaneity, but i had just accomplished it. It took me awhile to realize it was real.

I have never been to Alabama. The closest I have been to the "deep" south was the Miami International Airport on a layover. But I've always wanted to go to the South, maybe not specifically Alabama, but the South. And now, just mere hours away from leaving on this grand adventure, I'm nothing but butterflies. I fly into Atlanta and from there take a little drive into Alabama. I'm looking forward to being able to drive awhile and see the scenery, especially since my flight is in the wee-hours of the morning and I will (hopefully) miss the view from up top due to sleep. So off I go. Hopefully I'll get pictures posted when I get back!

The dawn of a new semester part 1

With school just a mere three days away, I sit here wondering, "Shouldn't I be a bit more concerned?" The reality has not yet hit. I'm not dreading it. I'm not looking forward to it. I think I'm in denial. Is there something wrong with me? Or is it that my mind is still trying to wrap itself around the idea that I had planned on having my last Independent Study class done by today (yeah, not even half done), and it's my last semester. I think I secretly think school will never end, that this will just continue forever. I can't even imagine not being in school; I look forward to it, but I can't imagine it.

And now, I will enjoy my last few hours of "freedom" before I feel the pressure. *sigh*

Who knew?

Earlier today, I was walking on campus and walked past several sets of parents and new freshman, all without fail were looking at maps. Approaching one building, I overheard a father ask another passerby, "Is this the Knight Building?" "Uh...." So being the great person I am, from behind, slightly yelling (I was still aways away), when I could see that the father and son were going to keep going in search of the Knight Building (that they were unknowingly in front of), "Yes, yes it is." They stopped, thanked me, and turned into the building. I felt good about myself. (service accomplished for the day)

Several minutes later, on my return by the infamous Knight Building, and after seeing even more parents and students, looking slightly lost, I started thinking about myself, and how I'd done the same thing, 6 years ago (I'd say I feel old, but then, I think everyone who reads this is older than me, so I won't). My mom and I came to campus to buy books and look around campus a couple weeks before my first semester, and I remember thinking how HUGE campus was (I don't think that anymore...sure, it's big, but when class and work are confined to two neighboring buildings, campus seems pretty small). I don't however, remember getting lost, or carrying a map around...probably because mom knew where everything was - at least the classes I was taking (hooray for mom and her good memory!)

Yes, those were the days. Carefree, who cares what classes I take or what grades I get, living in the dorms, with a cafeteria for all my food needs...yes, those were the days. I never would've imagined it would take me 6.5 years to graduate, and that I'd change my major more than three times, know Portuguese fluently, and the Cyrillic alphabet (as well as a few key phrases in Russian). Who knew that I would end up majoring in Geography, with a strange desire to get a job doing something, well, dangerous. Looking back to when I was 18 and a new freshman, I never would've thought I'd go on a mission, and certainly not to Brasil. Who knew that my life would bring me to this point in time and place? Certainly, not me.