Kentucky

I miss having cats around all the time. Though Maui is shedding on my computer right now. I got a new laptop...

Kentucky is so gorgeous in the summer. I love how green it is, and how hilly. Its funny... I think a lot of the things that people typically think of Kentucky I didn't really do until I got back - like riding around in the back of a pickup truck out to a bonfire in a field. Let me tell you - fireflies are gorgeous, it makes everything... ethereal almost. Fireflies are one of those effects that you see in the movies and think "That doesn't look real", but when you see them in real life its just as dreamlike. Last night was fun, to say the least - bonfires and fireflies and good friends.

I'm always astounded that we managed to amuse ourselves in high school. And I realize how suburban Lexington can be, when we go to Applebees on a Friday night for drinks and appetizers, because the bars are just too far away sometimes, and you have to drive everywhere. Lexington has changed so much in the last 4 years... but not the places I expected. Its nice having some friends back in town - it was weird coming home and them not being here, since they are part of home. And funny having school friends move here for jobs. Its nice being in that place where you know friends parents and they know about your family and these people have known you for 8 years.. its crazy.They know you, and not your resume... not that there's anything wrong with that, but you knew them before they were out to save the world or get a PHD or whatever it is they are doing now. Funny how easy it is to lose touch too, or how hard it is to remember to call this person or that person when you're in town. I'm sorry if I should have gotten in touch and didn't. The one graduation party that is here that I would love to attend to see everyone I don't normally stay in touch with but love still is a week too late.

This summer will be a drastic difference from this last week. Big city life. I'm not sure I'm ready to leave yet - because this will probably be the last summer that everyone is together at the same time, even around to call, and somehow summer is more magical than the winter, there's more freedom, more beauty, more carefree. And people are stepping off to real jobs and world saving jobs and grad school and whatnot - things where you don't get a break for three weeks at winter, or summers off, or set times to be home at the same time, or enough time to come home.

Time to go pack...

EEEEE!

Ok, so, again, sorry for the lack of posts. My laptop died which leaves me at an interesting point of trying to figure out what the heck I'm going to do about that.

CCY was amazing. I definitely came away from it with more than I thought I would... and at least 30 new friends who will all do some amazing things for the world around them. I seriously am in awe of all the people that I find myself with, all the things they do , and how driven they are. The closing speaker, Michael McAfee, started this website, and affirmed that it is ok to want to make money and simultaneously save the world. He said he didn't really offer advice to people, but man, the guy is quotable. "I'm most impressed with the people who are doing what they want to do." "Don't let others hold your dreams hostage". He also placed an emphasis on "Who you are is good enough - you don't need to change yourself" - but more on the focus that there's not a whole lot more education that is going to be critical to getting yourself where you want to be. Basically, he had a different take than a lot of keynote speakers normally would have at a service-based conference - which was nice to hear a different perspective.

Also, check out this website. Intriguing idea. I may start my own business/non-profit, we'll see.

Being in Kentucky is great, as usual. Its funny being around friends you've known for 8 years, compared with the friends you've known for 3.

I got an electric wok for my birthday :). You know you're getting old when that is exciting. Then again, we all know how much I love my electric kettle.

ALSO I WILL BE PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER. I have a 1 in 3 chance to go to Brazil to present the paper (well, not exactly a chance, its deciding amongst my group members who will get to go).

Goodbyes...

My life at this school, by acronyms:
PAR, ALN, FYI, PCC, RSC, ACCC, PEC, ASB, SFT, SF, RRFC, SS, GE, ISGE, GEAR, GAMES, CS, CLEM, TF, HF, UIUC, BOG, YMCA, SBOG, CS4k12,

The French have it right. "Au revoir" is a hell of a lot better than "Goodbye forever". I mean, "Until the next time we see each other" is just so much more optimistic. And easier to deal with. And less sad.

It's kind of weird with so many people graduating. Some will be sticking around, and some will not. I'm glad I don't have to deal with dealing with real life yet, on top of everything else the last few weeks and months. And I wouldn't trade the time I've had and the classes I took because I did decide to take the GE curriculum a bit slower this year.

I still need a fall internship, summer housing (though I'm going up to Chicago on Monday), a roommate for second semester in Urbana... yeah. I'm looking forward to CCY. I'm looking forward to this summer in Chicago. And that's what you have to do right? Be excited about what's ahead, rather than think about what you're leaving behind.

Ooops

So.. apparently its been almost a month since I last wrote. My apologies. Anything I've had to write I've been too busy to write, or I've just been enjoying down time.

I turned 22, and I have to say my birthday was amazing. Probably better than 21 - I just felt so loved, so many people wanted to celebrate with me, it was great.

It's weird being a senior but not graduating - I'm freaking out about finals but I only sort of have to freak out about "real life", and its hard to realize a lot of my favorite people are not going to be around next year. I'm also not going to have official leadership positions in anything - or at least not anything I've been involved in so far, which is fine. It will give me more room to do things I've been wanting to do for a while - that flexibility will be nice.

I had a temporary freak out about that - having direction keeps me stable, and between not knowing where I'm living this summer, if I'm subletting my apartment here for the summer, if I have an internship for the fall, or what I'll do with myself on campus next year, along with general end of the year craziness, I went a bit nutso last night. But its all good, I have a list of things I want to try to get more involved in. Like teaching (if I can find a class/prof willing to let me), the engineering curriculum (trying to make it more interdisciplinary), the social spaces group (I should probably work on my coding skills, or learn new languages or something), French (yeah....), and other side projects - I'll find a way to keep myself busy, that was never a doubt, but whether I'll have something I can say "here's what I did this semester"... well, we'll see.

For those of you graduating, best of luck in life to you, please keep in touch. For those of you who will be around next year, make sure we play together often.