College Thoughts: End of Year One

This morning, amid my delicious Eggo waffles and orange juice, I was hit with the urge to ponder my crossing of the rickety bridge between high school and college. With some time to spare before I peddled off to work, I re-read my thoughts on my high school experience . I never would have guessed I would be so thankful this early in my life that I took the time to catalogue my feelings of the past in such an accessible manner. Whether driven by some instinctual response to continue somewhat of a digital diary (perhaps for future Mike), or, and much more likely the cause, being the sucker for nostalgia that I happen to be, I've decided to give an accurate summary of my first year in college. 

Before I begin reviewing what has been, without a doubt, the most wonderful and strange year of my life, it is important that I disclose one simple fact: the timeframe recorded as my freshman year was remarkably different than what you assume a standard, first-year-of-college would be (at least, held up against sketches of my own judgments based on information gathered from television and friends). This much I know

Needless to say, it all began in a somewhat uncommon fashion. As is the case again this summer, mid August marks the beginning of Cross Country season with our team camp on Mount Rainier. I can't spend too long describing the ebb and flow of my collegiate running career; due, in large part, to our fifteen mile Sunday run's shy habit of straying far from even the deftest of word-butcherer's descriptions. What I will say is that I have met the most remarkable people who share my desire to scurry over mountains and experiment with the limits of their lung's abilities. I look forward, with incredible amounts of anticipation, to spending many more miles alongside these friends. 

Seattle University is a small school, which means they like to spend extra effort forcing their new arrivals to participate in games designed for the casual 4th grader. Once you survive the institution's fragile attempts of connecting you with other people by bringing you all down to an equal level of embarrassment, you are ready to begin classes. 

Here's the point at which I digress to create a few quick lists, purely for future statistical clarity. 

Things I Learned While Sitting in Class:

• Anthropology, while technically classified as a science, is rarely scientific
  
• Toni Morrison writes beautifully about trauma
  
• Calculus isn't so bad
  
• The inside of your eye looks like the night sky with a streak of an Aurora Borealis
  
• Poverty in America stems from many, many factors
  

Things I Learned Outside of Class:

• Yogurt parfaits will save your life at 7:15 am
  
• A bowl of rice and beans will save you at any time of day
  
• Racquetball is not just for old men
  
• Raincoats are a necessity and must be grown into
  
• The seasons change more engagingly in the city
  

Things I Continue to be astonished by:

• The amount of time people spend on Facebook
  
• The number of books I read that were not required by my classes
  
• How bravely I steered clear of a gripping addiction to Stumptown/Cafe Vita/Top Pot coffee (although, the jury for my Top Pot doughnut dependency are certainly taking their time)
  

For the first time in my life I have felt the naked speed of time. I am being pulled into the future as recklessly as a mother pulls a misbehaving child through the supermarket. 

I wouldn't have it any other way.