Back to (my) School

Today marks my second day back at my alma mater, Ripon College, and I have to say, it feels strange. I've felt over the course of the past few months, at least since graduation, that I've really emotionally moved on from this place, but I couldn't appreciate just how...complicated that fact is until I got back. While it's wonderful to see everyone, all my friends and people, it leaves me with a sense of being out of place. A part of me will always belong to Ripon; it's shaped me in to who am today. However, it is time for me to go someplace else now. Along that vein, it's fitting that our journey west should begin at Ripon, where my undergraduate experience ended.

This entry is just a quick update...a moments access of free wifi that I wanted to take advantage of. Tomorrow morning, Bryan, Jenan and I give a short talk to the introductory Organic Chemistry class explaining our experiences and how we decided we would go to graduate school. Tonight, though, we'll be in downtown Ripon, visiting our bars and friends of the days of yore. I can't wait :)

Mad love,
Jon

Back to (a) School

The Thrifting Experience

Eau Claire, day two. (Aug 29)

It honestly feels a little weird to be back on a college campus. Over the past four years, this is about the time that I would have been back at Ripon, and I would already have a solid week of class under my belt, but instead I’m in limbo of sorts. Being at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire is cool…I spent my undergraduate experience at the tiny private campus of Ripon College, so it’s neat to check out the larger university environment. It’s a good prep for going to Irvine, however there are going to be considerably more students there, a total of about thirty thousand! That’s thirty times bigger than Ripon. Yowza. Jessica walked me around campus, and I had the opportunity to check out the spots on campus that she frequents.

But the weird thing is, I’m done with undergrad. I have my degree. And it makes me feel uncharacteristically old and out of place.

Last night we went out with a few of Jessica’s friends last night to some of the local bars…a scene that’s definitely more thriving than Ripon’s tiny taverns. Fortunately, a therapeutic prescription of Dr. Daniel’s helped relax me, and I had a good time meeting the people who I’ve heard so much about. And I got to go out and dance and shake my little tush.

We’ll see what today brings…other than the morning blend of coffee in the pot and the caramel rolls in the oven. Jessica’s dad is in town with some of her possessions that she couldn’t fit in her car, and we’ll undoubtedly be spending some time with him.

Good Will Fashionista