Wisconsin

So I have arrived in Wisconsin.

The past two weeks have been pretty hectic and nerve-racking. I applied to Cambridge University and took the GRE last week. The GRE went well, but we will have to wait and see about Cambridge. The application was intense. Much harder than the GRE, which I ended up not so much studying for ... as the Cambridge application took over my life. I even had to write a master's thesis proposal - for the application! Geez o pete. Now I'm waiting for Bowling Green to send some additional transcripts to Wisconsin so I can send my "supplementary materials."

I ran into Kevin incidentally, as he was visiting Bishop Hall the same week I was. This is weird as we haven't seen each other in over a year, and we will be meeting up again in Chicago next week. Scott was on a ten day leave, also incidentally, but I did not get up to see him thanks to the grueling Cambridge crud. I did get to visit Jen (enjoying med school as expected) and Andy (ol' trusty hangin' out in Clermont County) so that was nice.

I spent some quality time with my mamaw at the bawdy comedy show Shadowbox Cabaret, and just let me take this time to reaffirm that I do have the COOLEST grandmother on this planet Earth. Now she and I are up in Wisconsin with my granpa.

Mis abuelos have a little cabin on a lake in some rural countryside up north so we are spending the week relaxing here and enjoying each other's company before I head to my flight from Chicago next week.

Then it's off to the high sierra, to the city of Quito, Ecuador.

Oxford, Ohio

Wow, it's so strange to be back in Oxford, not to mention in Bishop.

I am visiting my sister/studying for the GRE/working on applications/meeting with professors at good ol' Miami University. It's strange to spend four years of your life in this little bubble, move out to San Francisco, then spend a few days back here. So strange. Can't communicate the strangeness. Lots of memories. I am waxing nostalgic.

But it's different. Because what really made college was the people. And they are gone. A few professors are still around. But my friends, roommates, classmates, research partners, all dispersed, from Chicago to New York to Miami to Kazahkstan. Married. Grad school. Jobs. So it's strange to see the buildings and the familiar fall landscape and not be able to wander down to Mark and Matt's room for some time-wasting Law and Order or to Scott and Higgity's for an earful of trivial information. No Kevin and ridiculous Gospel nights or Irish parties. Ah, college. College, I make fun of Mark for missing thee, but I loved thee as well... Too bad I didn't realize it until I left.

But I love San Francisco. I love my new life. I love Latin America. And traveling. And Mark and Jessie and the other people in the Bay Area. So it's good. And all seems beautiful here now, until I remind myself about Cincinnati winters. Ick.

New Richmond homecoming

Well, I am in the Cincinnati area now. I need to hunker down and study, but being around the countless TVs and in a house where the rooms go on and on and where food is endless and the piano calling my name, it's very hard to work. So far, I've watched lots of TV (I don't have it in my place in Cali), eaten countless handmade cookies, and remembered what life is like with no cell phone reception (too rural) and only dial-up internet (again, too rural, no dsl here). Not much to do here, but the weather and landscape are green and beautiful. And now the Simpsons are on. Looks like I will start studying tomorrow.