Captain's Log: Stardate: -309129.6632
Did he just start out a blog post with a Stardate from Star Trek?
You bet I did, Interwebs, and if you can't handle that level of nerdiness I suggest that you read no further. I am going to making many nerdy references throughout this post.
Before I continue: Yes, that is actually today's Stardate. I looked it up.
Now blogging:
I have made friends among a very good group of people here. Do you know how I this is a good group? We are all tremendously nerdy, and it does not matter in the least from where we come. We're an eclectic group of Americans, a Belgian, an Argentinian, a handful of French, and a few Italians, and even a few native Germans, and I must say, it is amazing to know that when I say, "Winter is coming..." in a gruff British accent, everyone knows exactly what I mean and the greater implications therein both in real life and as the walking reference machine that is our collective friendship. Needless to say, the nesting feeling that I mentioned last week is now starting to blossom fully.
You may be asking now, "But Daniel, you're only there for a semester! Why are you getting so attached?!" To that, I would say, "Great question. My answer: why not? This isn't a prison sentence. I live here... Willingly. AND there is cheap Turkish food just down the street. Why WOULDN'T I get attached? (15% of my expenses so far have to be Kebabs, one of the best sandwiches a human being can hope to experience.)" Yes, I will have to face missing this place just like I face homesickness coming here. It will pass, and I will have the memory and the friendships I made here with my so long as my long term and/or Facebook exist (I even foresee a merger of those two in the future. Keep your eye on the Google Play Store). Does that sound not well-thought-out, cliche, and even unoriginal? If you answered, "no," you're beyond my help. You probably think my snarky, yet witty, writing style is not only unfunny, but is also irreverent and borders on offensive material. To that I say, "Let's focus on the people who answered, 'yes.'" If you said, "yes," then you probably love my silly ramblings and want me to get on with my point. Thus, I will: yes, the Hallmark/ Care Bear happy I mentioned above is sappy and overused. Hold on a minute; I'm going to fix it. Now:
Nothing in this life is permanent or simple. For example: I almost no idea what I am doing after graduation. Today was the first plunge I took into the Pool of Future Life Decisions. Much to my surprise, it wasn't bone-chillingly cold like most pools into which one finds oneself plunged, but I digress. I jumped off the diving board of Higher Learning, and I sent an email to.... The Lifeguard.... of... Grad School....??? Ok, forget the pool metaphors. They're dumb. I sent an email to the Prospective Students Service at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands today. I asked if it was possible to schedule a tour of the campus and of the Qumran and Dead Sea Scrolls Research Center. (I don't know if anyone reading this realizes just how hard I would nerd out if I got to tour that place. I would squeal like a little girl, and I would probably rant in broken German to a stranger on the train on my way back.) I'm currently in Europe. The University is in Europe. I thought, "Why not? I'm here. Let's visit grad school like a Big Boy Adult." That's all I have so far on that. I looked into the abyss of the future, and it looked back at me... So I sent an email that may or may not have been too formal. I really don't know. I'll keep you posted, Interwebs.
That's a round-about way of making this point: I could just end up back in Europe for grad school. Here's something that snarky Future Daniel would say, "Yeah, I'm glad I got attached to this continent. I know how it works now. Hey! A KEBAB IMBISS!" Yeah... Regardless of what my station of life is in the near future, I will now and forever more seek out the nearest Turkish eatery to my position in space-time. That's right. I will find the quantum Kebab. (I gave you fair warning about the nerdiness of this post. It's on you, now.) What I am trying to say is this :
Now that I have made that round-about point, I should let you know that it was only a device to make this round-about point: I'm loving my life here. I'm having dinner parties with friends, I go down the street to the Spielerei, a shop that sells and rents board games (yes, you can rent board games here). There, my friends and I play Risk and Game of Thrones: The Board Game. (For the record, I still hold the Iron Throne. Mine is the Fury! If you get it, laugh hysterically now.) We have a great time, and much merriment is had. I know my neighborhood back and forth now. I go on walks and runs to the castle on the hill, and I even found a place that puts me at enough peace to meditate. I can do all of this here, and even the people I experienced this with may very well be in geographic proximity to me in the future. I have come to a realistic realization about the temporary nature of my stay here, and I have come to grasps with the uncertainty of the future.
Do you know what this means? I can do this anywhere. If I get uprooted (which I will), I just bloom in another place. I have done this once, I have learned a tremendous amount about myself, and I can do this again. I have now gained one great life skill: Being at peace amidst approaching chaos and looming change. And I must say, it's exhilarating.
So, in the meantime, I shall continue to live my life here, play my board games with friends, go to my dinner parties, and live like the student I am.
Also, I will continue my quest for the quantum Kebab, for I am the quantum Kebabber, the champion of Turkish sandwiches through space and time.
Did he just start out a blog post with a Stardate from Star Trek?
You bet I did, Interwebs, and if you can't handle that level of nerdiness I suggest that you read no further. I am going to making many nerdy references throughout this post.
Before I continue: Yes, that is actually today's Stardate. I looked it up.
Now blogging:
I have made friends among a very good group of people here. Do you know how I this is a good group? We are all tremendously nerdy, and it does not matter in the least from where we come. We're an eclectic group of Americans, a Belgian, an Argentinian, a handful of French, and a few Italians, and even a few native Germans, and I must say, it is amazing to know that when I say, "Winter is coming..." in a gruff British accent, everyone knows exactly what I mean and the greater implications therein both in real life and as the walking reference machine that is our collective friendship. Needless to say, the nesting feeling that I mentioned last week is now starting to blossom fully.
You may be asking now, "But Daniel, you're only there for a semester! Why are you getting so attached?!" To that, I would say, "Great question. My answer: why not? This isn't a prison sentence. I live here... Willingly. AND there is cheap Turkish food just down the street. Why WOULDN'T I get attached? (15% of my expenses so far have to be Kebabs, one of the best sandwiches a human being can hope to experience.)" Yes, I will have to face missing this place just like I face homesickness coming here. It will pass, and I will have the memory and the friendships I made here with my so long as my long term and/or Facebook exist (I even foresee a merger of those two in the future. Keep your eye on the Google Play Store). Does that sound not well-thought-out, cliche, and even unoriginal? If you answered, "no," you're beyond my help. You probably think my snarky, yet witty, writing style is not only unfunny, but is also irreverent and borders on offensive material. To that I say, "Let's focus on the people who answered, 'yes.'" If you said, "yes," then you probably love my silly ramblings and want me to get on with my point. Thus, I will: yes, the Hallmark/ Care Bear happy I mentioned above is sappy and overused. Hold on a minute; I'm going to fix it. Now:
Nothing in this life is permanent or simple. For example: I almost no idea what I am doing after graduation. Today was the first plunge I took into the Pool of Future Life Decisions. Much to my surprise, it wasn't bone-chillingly cold like most pools into which one finds oneself plunged, but I digress. I jumped off the diving board of Higher Learning, and I sent an email to.... The Lifeguard.... of... Grad School....??? Ok, forget the pool metaphors. They're dumb. I sent an email to the Prospective Students Service at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands today. I asked if it was possible to schedule a tour of the campus and of the Qumran and Dead Sea Scrolls Research Center. (I don't know if anyone reading this realizes just how hard I would nerd out if I got to tour that place. I would squeal like a little girl, and I would probably rant in broken German to a stranger on the train on my way back.) I'm currently in Europe. The University is in Europe. I thought, "Why not? I'm here. Let's visit grad school like a Big Boy Adult." That's all I have so far on that. I looked into the abyss of the future, and it looked back at me... So I sent an email that may or may not have been too formal. I really don't know. I'll keep you posted, Interwebs.
That's a round-about way of making this point: I could just end up back in Europe for grad school. Here's something that snarky Future Daniel would say, "Yeah, I'm glad I got attached to this continent. I know how it works now. Hey! A KEBAB IMBISS!" Yeah... Regardless of what my station of life is in the near future, I will now and forever more seek out the nearest Turkish eatery to my position in space-time. That's right. I will find the quantum Kebab. (I gave you fair warning about the nerdiness of this post. It's on you, now.) What I am trying to say is this :
Now that I have made that round-about point, I should let you know that it was only a device to make this round-about point: I'm loving my life here. I'm having dinner parties with friends, I go down the street to the Spielerei, a shop that sells and rents board games (yes, you can rent board games here). There, my friends and I play Risk and Game of Thrones: The Board Game. (For the record, I still hold the Iron Throne. Mine is the Fury! If you get it, laugh hysterically now.) We have a great time, and much merriment is had. I know my neighborhood back and forth now. I go on walks and runs to the castle on the hill, and I even found a place that puts me at enough peace to meditate. I can do all of this here, and even the people I experienced this with may very well be in geographic proximity to me in the future. I have come to a realistic realization about the temporary nature of my stay here, and I have come to grasps with the uncertainty of the future.
Do you know what this means? I can do this anywhere. If I get uprooted (which I will), I just bloom in another place. I have done this once, I have learned a tremendous amount about myself, and I can do this again. I have now gained one great life skill: Being at peace amidst approaching chaos and looming change. And I must say, it's exhilarating.
So, in the meantime, I shall continue to live my life here, play my board games with friends, go to my dinner parties, and live like the student I am.
Also, I will continue my quest for the quantum Kebab, for I am the quantum Kebabber, the champion of Turkish sandwiches through space and time.