Reflections of a College Graduate

Growing up, my dad often filled my imagination with tales of wild adventure. It seems that many of such stories included a scene wherein the main character stood with arms outstretched on top of a tall, green mountain, taking in the incredible panoramic mountainous views while Rocky-like music fanfared around him. Such is the state of bliss and freedom that I have discovered since graduating from college. (Thanks, Dad, for providing the basis for my immense appreciation of this feeling.)

It is wonderful to have the time to do whatever the heck I feel like doing. In the week since we've been home from graduation vacation, I have done a little pleasure reading, planted a garden, cleaned and organized some of our house, and (gasp!) watched a little TV!!! I find that my days are the most happy and fulfilling when I am busy. Somewhere in the course of my life (perhaps because of my mission?) I have learned that life is too important and enjoyable to waste time sleeping in late or staring at the TV. There is too much to be discovered and accomplished! There is truly something to be said for making and achieving goals.

Even though school took quite a bit longer for me than most, and even though the stress produced volumes of sweat and tears, and even though I had to take some classes that were just, let's face it, RIDICULOUSLY, AGONIZINGLY IRRELEVANT yet EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to gain a college education. I feel very blessed to be able to look back and see that I bloomed and grew despite trying circumstances. This knowledge, I'm sure, will inspire me to continue progressing throughout my life.

It's so GREAT to be done!!!

Where to Begin?

Due to popular demand, I am making an attempt at the first "real" post on our blog. I offer the disclaimer that I really have nothing interesting to say today. My visiting teachers came by for the first time since I've been here. They are fun girls, and I hope they come again.

I'm about 2 1/2 weeks into the semester and already I'm behind by about 2 months. I'll never understand how that works. My courses for this, my FINAL semester, are Ocean Science, Intro to Archaeology and Physical Anthropology, Majority-Minority Relations, and Sociology of Aging and the Family. So far I have found interesting things in 3 of the 4 courses. I suspect the main reason I have yet to find interesting material in the other is that I haven't done anything for it.

Here is our kitty cat, Eclipse. He frequently does hilarious things, which I will try to document later. For now, here he is in all the appearance of normalcy.