Life is so much better in the sunshine.
The weather is finally starting to show it's true colors, and I couldn't be happier. Being warm when you walk outside is such a relief. The last two days have proven to me that: weather matters.
Cloudy, cold, and crappy = crabby, unsocial, bad day.
sunny,warm, beautiful = smiley, social, happy day.
Yesterday I was done with class at 9:30am, had breakfast, sat by the river with Jo, soaked up the sun for an hour in the prairie, and on the library lawn, and then had choir. mmmm so much sunshine!
Today, my movement class improved dance pieces together, which was so nice. Sat outside between classes, and then joined the Contact Improv dance class with Abby. We rolled around outside and inside, improving with the idea of "resistance is futile". So wonderful. Then Abby and I walked up through the prairie and on top of a bluff and back. then I read a book in the sunshine. Could life get any better? My goodness!
I have dirty feet, and tan lines...and life is GOOD :)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
i'm not a weakling anymore
I have successfully only slept in my bed at home once this entire semester so far.
I am finally learning.
It takes time to get used to not being home. Last year I didn't go more than 3 weeks without finding some reason or excuse to take a weekend home. But it is getting easier.
As nice as being home is, there isn't much to do but sit around, eat food, and watch movies. Only a handful of old friends might be home, and family is busy.
Weekends on campus are such a good time to just connect with people, have a good time, and explore the town. They are a chance to actually sleep in, and also time to earn some money working for more than 2 hours at a time.
I used to get stressed and lonely when I wasn't home for a long period of time, but Luther is becoming a second home. I never thought it would happen, but it has. I love my bed, my room, the showers, the food, the town. Everything is wonderful, why leave it?
Home has it's advantages: being with my rents, starbucks/caribou coffee, and actually driving places. But college really is a new life, and a new home. (minus the whole...you know...money thing)
I am however welcoming this easter break to sit and stop thinking about school for awhile. thank goodness
I am finally learning.
It takes time to get used to not being home. Last year I didn't go more than 3 weeks without finding some reason or excuse to take a weekend home. But it is getting easier.
As nice as being home is, there isn't much to do but sit around, eat food, and watch movies. Only a handful of old friends might be home, and family is busy.
Weekends on campus are such a good time to just connect with people, have a good time, and explore the town. They are a chance to actually sleep in, and also time to earn some money working for more than 2 hours at a time.
I used to get stressed and lonely when I wasn't home for a long period of time, but Luther is becoming a second home. I never thought it would happen, but it has. I love my bed, my room, the showers, the food, the town. Everything is wonderful, why leave it?
Home has it's advantages: being with my rents, starbucks/caribou coffee, and actually driving places. But college really is a new life, and a new home. (minus the whole...you know...money thing)
I am however welcoming this easter break to sit and stop thinking about school for awhile. thank goodness
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
i wanna go far away
The ebb and flow of missing someone, and life as we know it, can really suck sometimes.
I am surrounded by good people. I have fun, and this semester has really been much needed. But right now, in this moment, i miss my dear friend. I really hope that everyone has a person. A person to tell all the little things to, laugh about something stupid, or cry about it for that matter. Walk places with, and figure out every day life with.
I never ever thought I would question my life plans. I thought I was one of the lucky ones who had it figured out. I wanted to be a choir teacher, teach near my home in MN, and be safe. To experience beautiful choral music, and inspire students to be real people.
And now...everything is getting tossed around. Do I really want to teach? I'm not really sure.
I want to be real, and help others to do the same. I want to be passionate about whatever I do in life, and I don't know if teaching will facilitate that.
I'm thinking of dropping my education minor, and graduating with a double major in Music and Theatre/Dance. There is 90% of me that is so excited for a change, and all the possibilities for integrating the two. There is excitement in not knowing, or knowing that I can do anything. It lifts weight off my shoulders, and fills me with a passion to create movement and facilitate change through music and movement together. But that other 10% of me can't commit to it all. That little part of me is saying "am i giving up?" "am i just being lazy?". What do i really want? It is safer to stick with education...but who wants to stay safe? There is no adventure in that.
I want to be poor, I want to experience. I want to be passionate. I want to be a part of new things, and open peoples eyes to new things. When I am in my movement classes, i feel intelligent. Which is a very rare feeling for me at this school. And I can't ignore that.
I don't know. that's all I've got. That's where I'm at right now. and i miss that friend of mine, it is putting a loneliness in me.
I am surrounded by good people. I have fun, and this semester has really been much needed. But right now, in this moment, i miss my dear friend. I really hope that everyone has a person. A person to tell all the little things to, laugh about something stupid, or cry about it for that matter. Walk places with, and figure out every day life with.
I never ever thought I would question my life plans. I thought I was one of the lucky ones who had it figured out. I wanted to be a choir teacher, teach near my home in MN, and be safe. To experience beautiful choral music, and inspire students to be real people.
And now...everything is getting tossed around. Do I really want to teach? I'm not really sure.
I want to be real, and help others to do the same. I want to be passionate about whatever I do in life, and I don't know if teaching will facilitate that.
I'm thinking of dropping my education minor, and graduating with a double major in Music and Theatre/Dance. There is 90% of me that is so excited for a change, and all the possibilities for integrating the two. There is excitement in not knowing, or knowing that I can do anything. It lifts weight off my shoulders, and fills me with a passion to create movement and facilitate change through music and movement together. But that other 10% of me can't commit to it all. That little part of me is saying "am i giving up?" "am i just being lazy?". What do i really want? It is safer to stick with education...but who wants to stay safe? There is no adventure in that.
I want to be poor, I want to experience. I want to be passionate. I want to be a part of new things, and open peoples eyes to new things. When I am in my movement classes, i feel intelligent. Which is a very rare feeling for me at this school. And I can't ignore that.
I don't know. that's all I've got. That's where I'm at right now. and i miss that friend of mine, it is putting a loneliness in me.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
where we walk
there are only so many ways to get from one place to another on campus. and they all tend to provide awkward encounters, and fake hello's. Let's take a closer look:
SIDEWALKS - a small paved path with connections to the entire campus.
*During class hours, if you are walking on the sidewalk, you get to revel in the tension that is: walking towards a single person, for what feels like an eternity. You have the time to figure out if you know them, and if you do, whether you want to simply 1)smile 2)say "hi" 3)ask "how are you?"
And if you don't know them, do you 1)look away 2)pretend to be on your phone 3)smile
*Inbetween class hours, if you are a fast walker (like myself), it is almost a game of: how many people can I pass, and in what direction?
ELEVATORS - small enclosed rooms that relieve you from the work it takes to walk up or down flights of stairs.
*Generally, you can sneak into an elevator alone, in which case, there is nothing wrong.
*If the elevator stops for you, and there is someone already inside, there is instant embarrassment...because it means you were too lazy to just take the stairs. from the first floor, it is only 4 flights of stairs to get to the ground level...I mean, really. And then you have to decided how to stand in the elevator, awkwardly, with the other person...in silence.
*Also...the elevator reaches the floor, dings a bell, and THEN opens the doors. What an embarrassing split second when you go to walk out of the elevator, and the doors are still not open...like you thought they'd be.
DOORS - valves to get in and out of buildings...full of traffic between classes.
*On the Luther campus, there are three dorms (miller, dieseth, and ylvi) of students who pass through the science building to get through the rest of campus...a warm oasis from the cold. This means a lot of opening and closing of doors. Most students are traveling to class at the same time, which means a bulk of people, generally not talking to each other. You start form a line feeding in and out of the doors, one person opening it first, and everyone else continuing to prop it open as they walk through. This whole scene tends to diminish polite conduct. In the normal world, or in a one-time instance, you'd say thank you to the person to opens the door. But in this case, if you do that, you just sound like a broken record. Because you'll be saying thank you to the same person at least 4 times in less than 30 seconds....awkward.
Or...you could just skip all this over analyzing...i'm just saying...i think about it. I really don't feel that awkward all the time, but it does happen.
SIDEWALKS - a small paved path with connections to the entire campus.
*During class hours, if you are walking on the sidewalk, you get to revel in the tension that is: walking towards a single person, for what feels like an eternity. You have the time to figure out if you know them, and if you do, whether you want to simply 1)smile 2)say "hi" 3)ask "how are you?"
And if you don't know them, do you 1)look away 2)pretend to be on your phone 3)smile
*Inbetween class hours, if you are a fast walker (like myself), it is almost a game of: how many people can I pass, and in what direction?
ELEVATORS - small enclosed rooms that relieve you from the work it takes to walk up or down flights of stairs.
*Generally, you can sneak into an elevator alone, in which case, there is nothing wrong.
*If the elevator stops for you, and there is someone already inside, there is instant embarrassment...because it means you were too lazy to just take the stairs. from the first floor, it is only 4 flights of stairs to get to the ground level...I mean, really. And then you have to decided how to stand in the elevator, awkwardly, with the other person...in silence.
*Also...the elevator reaches the floor, dings a bell, and THEN opens the doors. What an embarrassing split second when you go to walk out of the elevator, and the doors are still not open...like you thought they'd be.
DOORS - valves to get in and out of buildings...full of traffic between classes.
*On the Luther campus, there are three dorms (miller, dieseth, and ylvi) of students who pass through the science building to get through the rest of campus...a warm oasis from the cold. This means a lot of opening and closing of doors. Most students are traveling to class at the same time, which means a bulk of people, generally not talking to each other. You start form a line feeding in and out of the doors, one person opening it first, and everyone else continuing to prop it open as they walk through. This whole scene tends to diminish polite conduct. In the normal world, or in a one-time instance, you'd say thank you to the person to opens the door. But in this case, if you do that, you just sound like a broken record. Because you'll be saying thank you to the same person at least 4 times in less than 30 seconds....awkward.
Or...you could just skip all this over analyzing...i'm just saying...i think about it. I really don't feel that awkward all the time, but it does happen.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
i want to sleep
The high so far has been above 40 degrees...so wonderful...but so terrible. This sudden change in temperature has done wonders for my immune system. I caught a cold immediately after one night of little sleep.
Now I've spent the last three nights seeing the clock at least every hour. No Fun.
Sleep is already hard to come by in a dorm room, i don't need help by getting all stuffed up.
People stay up till the wee hours of the morning, just doing homework. I can't imagine.
Lara (my roomie) and I stuff a towel under the door to muffle some sound, and to block the persistent light coming in from the hallway. But then you have to deal with paper thin walls. I lay in bed at night and can hear every word of the conversations going on next door. And personally, I just don't care about how many girls your loud drunk friend danced with at roscoes that night. honestly.
And as greatful as I am to be so close to the bathroom on our floor, it echoes. People getting ready for bed, or getting ready in the morning, should keep conversation to a minimum. It is so so very loud.
Speaking of the morning hours. let me just say : i hate alarm clocks. I realize they are a neccesity in waking up (including myself). But I wish I didn't wake up to the girls' next door, and my roomie's, almost every morning. Ridiculous.
I suppose I should leave off on a positive note though. When I want to hang out with someone, all I have to do is shuffle over in my stocking feet (no car, and no coat required), and knock on their door. And THAT makes dorm life the most wonderful thing. ever.
Now I've spent the last three nights seeing the clock at least every hour. No Fun.
Sleep is already hard to come by in a dorm room, i don't need help by getting all stuffed up.
People stay up till the wee hours of the morning, just doing homework. I can't imagine.
Lara (my roomie) and I stuff a towel under the door to muffle some sound, and to block the persistent light coming in from the hallway. But then you have to deal with paper thin walls. I lay in bed at night and can hear every word of the conversations going on next door. And personally, I just don't care about how many girls your loud drunk friend danced with at roscoes that night. honestly.
And as greatful as I am to be so close to the bathroom on our floor, it echoes. People getting ready for bed, or getting ready in the morning, should keep conversation to a minimum. It is so so very loud.
Speaking of the morning hours. let me just say : i hate alarm clocks. I realize they are a neccesity in waking up (including myself). But I wish I didn't wake up to the girls' next door, and my roomie's, almost every morning. Ridiculous.
I suppose I should leave off on a positive note though. When I want to hang out with someone, all I have to do is shuffle over in my stocking feet (no car, and no coat required), and knock on their door. And THAT makes dorm life the most wonderful thing. ever.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
and the semester begins...
Spring semester started up yesterday. And let me say...I wasn't expecting such a wake up. My shower turned freezing cold halfway through...uggghh. (and followed the same pattern this morning!)
The day got better as I continued on:
Movement Fundamentals II (i took I last semester). This is the most amazing class I have ever had in my life. Last semester we learned all the bones in our body, and the different relationships between different bony landmarks. Learning how the body functions inwardly, to create outward expression. Amazing. And now in II we are continuing this idea while incorporating specific movement patterns and phrases. And exploring movement with relationship to self, others, and the world. It is my first class at 9:15am on M,W,F's. And I couldn't be more happy.
The first day of classes is always a little awkward. You walk into the classroom, hoping you see a slightly familiar face to sit next to and make small talk with. Hoping this "friendship" will last the entire semester. Luckily I am not taking any general education classes, so I pretty much know everyone in the music classes. But still, that doesn't mean i'm friends with everyone. So I make silly jokes and try to make people laugh, to lesson the tension before the prof walks in. Great.
I will say, I love the beginning of a new semester because I feel studious and ready to learn, take notes, and do homework. I just wish this scholastic enthusiasm could last the entire semester long...but it doesn't. Oh well, I guess I'll just soak it in for now.
I already can't wait for the weekend...
p.s. bethany is now in peru, and i swear i saw her on campus today. I'm going crazy. Walking to class with my ipod is not as fun as walking with her. :(
The day got better as I continued on:
Movement Fundamentals II (i took I last semester). This is the most amazing class I have ever had in my life. Last semester we learned all the bones in our body, and the different relationships between different bony landmarks. Learning how the body functions inwardly, to create outward expression. Amazing. And now in II we are continuing this idea while incorporating specific movement patterns and phrases. And exploring movement with relationship to self, others, and the world. It is my first class at 9:15am on M,W,F's. And I couldn't be more happy.
The first day of classes is always a little awkward. You walk into the classroom, hoping you see a slightly familiar face to sit next to and make small talk with. Hoping this "friendship" will last the entire semester. Luckily I am not taking any general education classes, so I pretty much know everyone in the music classes. But still, that doesn't mean i'm friends with everyone. So I make silly jokes and try to make people laugh, to lesson the tension before the prof walks in. Great.
I will say, I love the beginning of a new semester because I feel studious and ready to learn, take notes, and do homework. I just wish this scholastic enthusiasm could last the entire semester long...but it doesn't. Oh well, I guess I'll just soak it in for now.
I already can't wait for the weekend...
p.s. bethany is now in peru, and i swear i saw her on campus today. I'm going crazy. Walking to class with my ipod is not as fun as walking with her. :(
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Science of the Showers
You may think it an absolute miracle that 38 girls can share a total of 3 showers. And truly, it is something to be pondered. So I am going to let you in on the inner-workings of showering.
One thing should be learned first, and that is...shower priority:
When you enter the shower room, your choice in showers generally goes in 1st-shower B, 2nd-shower C, and 3rd-shower A.
Shower-B has the best pressure, however it is the shower with the drain, so if that gets clogged, your first choice moves to shower-C.
Shower-C has moderate pressure, is clean, and there is more moving room away from the water.
Shower-A is atrocious. There is no pressure, and the water comes out in one single stream.
Now that this has been established...let's talk about timing:
Students have class in the morning at either 8am, 9:15am, or 11am.
So you have to average out the amount of time girls spend to get ready, and therefore, when they will most likely take a shower. Which is generally 1 hour (which includes travel to class).
Therefore, the busiest time to take a shower would be (say for an 8am class) 7am.
My solution to all of this, is to get up 4 minutes before or 8 minutes after 7am. In general, people set their clocks to either :00, :15, :30, or :45. So I set mine to :08 or :52 etc... Then I am able to get in just before or after a rush of showers. impressive? i think so.
I have never had to wait for a shower, and am hardly in the showers at the same time as more than one other person. The funny thing is, when you do run into a lot of people in the showers, it is weird, and awkward. Everyone seems to believe they are the only one who uses them...including me, haha.
One thing should be learned first, and that is...shower priority:
When you enter the shower room, your choice in showers generally goes in 1st-shower B, 2nd-shower C, and 3rd-shower A.
Shower-B has the best pressure, however it is the shower with the drain, so if that gets clogged, your first choice moves to shower-C.
Shower-C has moderate pressure, is clean, and there is more moving room away from the water.
Shower-A is atrocious. There is no pressure, and the water comes out in one single stream.
Now that this has been established...let's talk about timing:
Students have class in the morning at either 8am, 9:15am, or 11am.
So you have to average out the amount of time girls spend to get ready, and therefore, when they will most likely take a shower. Which is generally 1 hour (which includes travel to class).
Therefore, the busiest time to take a shower would be (say for an 8am class) 7am.
My sol
ution to all of this, is to get up 4 minutes before or 8 minutes after 7am. In general, people set their clocks to either :00, :15, :30, or :45. So I set mine to :08 or :52 etc... Then I am able to get in just before or after a rush of showers. impressive? i think so.I have never had to wait for a shower, and am hardly in the showers at the same time as more than one other person. The funny thing is, when you do run into a lot of people in the showers, it is weird, and awkward. Everyone seems to believe they are the only one who uses them...including me, haha.
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