I couldn’t be more excited to end the conclusion to this chapter in my life and start the next one. There are moments that I wish I could go back to that have now faded into memories, and times that lasted forever and brought a new meaning to suffering. But they are all over and have all profoundly and sometimes not so profoundly been part of my life and forever will be imprinted into my body…until seven years from now when all my cells regenerate.
Lately I’ve been somewhat stuck, trapped in the questions of college, identity and the massive future that is already happening. So much in our life is out of control which is equally comforting and terrifying. Because anything could happen.
Goob. I mean, Gabe. I met Gabe the fall of my first year at college through the Resident Hall Association and Williams Village Program board. Aka the two places where all the nerds and people who feel like they need to do something with their college experience other than study and party go to gather. His presence alone is a massive ball of contagious, positive energy that echoes off everyone around him. It’s easy to be happy around Gabe and his sincere goofiness. He doesn’t take life too seriously while also being completely serious that he is having the time of his life at all moments. It’s a beautiful energy to be around.
I went to Moab, Utah for four days with four friends and had an absolute blast hiking through Arches National Park. I had been to Moab when I was in eighth grade on a school trip where we camped in the park and learned about the ecosystem and have been yearning to go back ever since. Sometimes I forget how beautiful the USA is and this trip did more than a sufficient job of reminding me what a blessing it is to grow up and live in this country. What is particularly great about Moab (and the National Park system in general) is that you can do a lot with a limited budget and adventurous spirit.
College is the epitome of a beautiful conundrum. It is failing to learn and learning to fail, figuring everything out only to realize you know nothing, interacting with the best (and sometimes the worst) people and realizing that every moment of life is flying by and you might as well enjoy it to the maximum because none of us know the future. No class inside or outside the classroom can teach that. Embrace now.
Lately in life I have been lost in the world (as opposed to school). I have been far too distracted and interested in the world (and less in my reading) and can’t seem to stop moving; its as though I have an endless adventurous twitch in my body that won’t let me sit still. I had an amazing weekend and went on countless adventures, mostly by myself which was kind of perfect. I think a lot of people have a huge fear of being by themselves, solo and alone. I think there’s no better way than to be my yourself; we all are stuck with ourselves our entire lives, so you might as well learn to enjoy it.
It is far too easy to get cynical about education; the questions of its potential, purpose and possibilities of impact often going down the cynical rabbit hole. Sometimes if can feel as though a never ending cycle of read and repeat, homework, sleep.
It’s hard to believe that we are already in the midst of September, finished our third week of school and fall is (almost) descending on us. Where did the time go? It seems like it was just yesterday when I moved back to Boulder, completed RA training, helped all the students move in and sat down in class for the first day of school. Time can move so fast, particularly back in the city and in the frenzy of life at school. After concluding that we all needed a break, a group of friends and myself decided to leave Boulder for twenty-four hours, camp and summit a fourteener. As great as it is to be back at school, we were all getting restless and needed to getaway! And, what better place to getaway then at the top of a 14,000 foot mountain?
Kaila in the World 