Freshmen

I just got back from a three day retreat in the mountains with the fresh batch of freshmen scholars. I am physically exhausted and have a gag-inducing bruise on my thigh that pulsates with each heartbeat. I never want to walk up a hill and am regretting leaving the corn fields and plains of Illinois to come back to the anything-but-flat south. And the bricks are going to be especially tricky.

But enough about complaining. I met some of the most amazing kids on this retreat. My fellow facilitators and I were equally impressed and content with the overall reactions between the new classmates. There of course were those who were super smart, some a little less considerate, and some that made me want to stop everything and join them in their endeavors sheep-herding in New Zealand. I hope that I "bonded" with a couple of them and really hope they take me up on my offer for coffee/dinner/chilling at the apartment but I guess I can't take it personally if they get too busy during their first year to come visit me. Hopefully I'll be seeing a bunch of them around campus because they are all so amazing in their own Parksy way.

I think that I learned something about myself as well and that's that I don't ever want to be loud. I know that's kind of a weird thing to learn at a retreat, but I really enjoy being reserved and witty and somewhat sarcastic. My height attracts enough attention and I don't need to be the center of attention during every conversation. I am an interesting-enough person to entertain those people who want to be entertained, but I don't need to go out of my way to make someone happy or laugh. I am perfectly content the way I am. It was hard to watch the newbies impress each other, and I hope they quickly learn that they are their own competitor. No one else cares. Only you care. You are your own worst enemy and it will only be you judging your every step.

Love ya 2012! KEEP ON JOURNALING!! (This blog site is free!)