Hey Everyone!
I am writing from my professor's friend's house. He has gone out camping with his family for this memorial day weekend and has let us live here for the next two days while he is out- crazy eh? So we are right now in San Diego and it is definitely what I had expected and more. The wealth in this neighbourhood and surrounding ones is incredible. There is even a neighbourhood riding school and stable, how posh!
To give a quick run-down of what has been going on, here are the highlights (I can't believe that it has only been a little more than a week! It really feels like I have been away for months...but I am enjoying myself immensely)
1. working from 8:00am-11:00pm- involves measuring plant sizes, counting seeds etc.
2. eating at really really weird times of day (right now we are cooking dinner and it is 9pm here)
3. SURFING! I tried it and it was really really cool. The whole surf culture is amazing
4. driving- a lot of driving. Sometimes we drive for about 5-8 hours in a day. But that is ok because we have Harry Potter on audio cassette which passes the time.
Well, that is all I have the time for- grubs up and everyone is waiting for me! But I have a great time:)
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Three, two, one - Counting down to California
I leave for California in a couple days and will not surface again for another six weeks. Because of this absence, I thought it best to have one last update before signing off.
I had originally thought that I would be able to blog while in California, but it looks like I will be camping in the wilderness for the full six weeks. In other words, in between running from sasquatches, spearing fish and foraging for berries, I will have no opportunity to blog...alas...
On a serious note, I think it appropriate to express my hopes for this trip.
First, I hope to gain more appreciation for nature and conservation. As humans, we tend to take advantage of such things, and not pay enough attention to maintaining a healthy, sustainable environment- let's clean up our acts folks!
Second, I hope to find out more about what I want to do with my life. Is research what I am destined for? I have my doubts because I feel that I would be a waste of academic resources. I have accepted that I am not the sharpest tool in the toolshed and to be a researcher, one has to have drive, creativity and expertise. I feel that I can contribute to humanity in other ways that would flatter my strengths. Hopefully this trip will give me insight into this...
Third, I hope to have the time out there to really get to know myself better and to accept myself through and through. I hope the solitude (though there will be a grad student with me) will be a refreshing change to the hectic life of a university student, where clubs, volunteer work, and classes have me surrounded by people 24/7. Priorities are also skewed I find in the university setting, where I feel marks determine self-worth.
Lastly, I hope to really toughen myself up. I must admit that thus far, my parents have done a truly splendid job in sheltering me from the world's harsh realities, and it is time that I break away. True, I am not going to harlem, nor am I exposing myself to things like poverty and disease. But I will be going to the bathroom in a hole in the ground, maybe even using nearby leaves as toilet paper. I will also be limited in the number of showers I can take and the types of foods I can eat. Furthermore, during the day, I will be toiling in the heat of the sun, crouching over plants with aching muscles attempting to cross-pollinate flowers. I think this will be the closest I will ever get to understanding what Grandma's past farming experiences were like, and that is truly inspiring.
Ultimately, I hope to come back refreshed and motivated to make change. (I have high expectations for this trip, don't I?) Maybe I will come back as the same person who left. If that is the case, well...fortunately I think I will be ok with that too.
I hope to see you all when I get back. Have a safe and happy May/June.
I had originally thought that I would be able to blog while in California, but it looks like I will be camping in the wilderness for the full six weeks. In other words, in between running from sasquatches, spearing fish and foraging for berries, I will have no opportunity to blog...alas...
On a serious note, I think it appropriate to express my hopes for this trip.
First, I hope to gain more appreciation for nature and conservation. As humans, we tend to take advantage of such things, and not pay enough attention to maintaining a healthy, sustainable environment- let's clean up our acts folks!
Second, I hope to find out more about what I want to do with my life. Is research what I am destined for? I have my doubts because I feel that I would be a waste of academic resources. I have accepted that I am not the sharpest tool in the toolshed and to be a researcher, one has to have drive, creativity and expertise. I feel that I can contribute to humanity in other ways that would flatter my strengths. Hopefully this trip will give me insight into this...
Third, I hope to have the time out there to really get to know myself better and to accept myself through and through. I hope the solitude (though there will be a grad student with me) will be a refreshing change to the hectic life of a university student, where clubs, volunteer work, and classes have me surrounded by people 24/7. Priorities are also skewed I find in the university setting, where I feel marks determine self-worth.
Lastly, I hope to really toughen myself up. I must admit that thus far, my parents have done a truly splendid job in sheltering me from the world's harsh realities, and it is time that I break away. True, I am not going to harlem, nor am I exposing myself to things like poverty and disease. But I will be going to the bathroom in a hole in the ground, maybe even using nearby leaves as toilet paper. I will also be limited in the number of showers I can take and the types of foods I can eat. Furthermore, during the day, I will be toiling in the heat of the sun, crouching over plants with aching muscles attempting to cross-pollinate flowers. I think this will be the closest I will ever get to understanding what Grandma's past farming experiences were like, and that is truly inspiring.
Ultimately, I hope to come back refreshed and motivated to make change. (I have high expectations for this trip, don't I?) Maybe I will come back as the same person who left. If that is the case, well...fortunately I think I will be ok with that too.
I hope to see you all when I get back. Have a safe and happy May/June.
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