Inspiration - Boom!!!
It was an ordinary Friday afternoon at the dorms, I was just coming back from swing dancing lessons and came downstairs to pick up a package from home: an air-popper I meant to bring, a Kairi costume complete with a keyblade (from the Kingdom Hearts video game) for an upcoming anime convention/Halloween costume, a letter, and a present from my parents, when I saw a flyer on the wall, "Write a freshman blog and you can get a free digital camera!". My mind looked up and smiled (a big :D smile). I was in desperate need of a camera. My current camera, the "adventure camera", was becoming more and more obsolete by the day; only 1/4 of the screen was decipherable due to a spider-climbing episode in a slot canyon in Utah, and I needed some visual, artsy way to document my life. Deep down, I'm a would-be nature photographer- just like how deep down, I'm also a blogger. Plus how cool would it be to keep up a blog about my mind-blowing time at Mines?
...That cool!!!
Anyways, that's how I ended up here, brainstorming what to tell my friend in Belgium about life at college while also writing about those same ideas in my first blog post.
...(back to the letter)
I'm sure you know the feeling, you're experiencing it right now in Belgium: going to college for the first time, finally being at a place you can call your own, being responsible for your own life, and being free to explore the world. Many aspects of being here at college remind me of being a foreign exchange student in Brazil where I met you, but with even more freedom, and with that more responsibilities, and more at stake (looking at the score from my first exam...). But it's process and a challenge we must all go through at one point in life. After all, Mines wouldn't be so legendary if we ALL got A's on the first exam.
What can I say? Living is golden here. As you know, I come from a town called "The Middle of the Desert", Utah, so I am new to living in such a vibrant place. I have always been very in-tune to the culture and natural environment
associated with a place, a habit probably acquired from having the
chance to absorb a whole new environment during my stay in Brazil; it's
something I pay attention to. What I picked up on here is that people in Colorado are, in general, more happy and healthy due to their captivating and easily accessible outdoor surroundings, and there's proof: Boulder, CO was once voted healthiest (least overweight) city in the US. You can see it in the people too; try going to the supermarket with white wash all over your legs (a remnant of the M-climb earlier that day) and not having some stranger smile and start up a friendly conversation with you.
The campus itself is very nice (despite the slight construction obstacles). It's just the right size, not too big, not too small, everything in perfect walking distance (especially from the traditional dorms), complete with cute little squirrels scurrying around. You look out the window from my 3rd story room, and there are mountains galore!- close enough to even walk to and climb from campus. Even when it's raining and a big foggy cloud is engulfing the M-hill it's beautiful, perfect for running by the creek. Did I mention, the main attraction in Golden: Clear Creek! It's evidently the thing to do for fun in small-town Colorado (as I saw in great numbers when the town was full of people for the bike race): jump in a freezing cold river! Or option 2: float down a freezing cold river on whatever you can find that floats! It turns out to be surprisingly enjoyable, especially when paired with sipping home-made root beer from the local farmer's market. I have always adored Colorado, it's like the outdoors of Utah, but less desert-like and more mountainous, in addition to just the sheer freedom of being in Colorado (or otherwise, the freedom of not being in Utah). It's not that I don't like Utah (I am just so excited to be in college here in Coloradooooo!). And don't even get me started on how excited I am for the snow.
It's been a great first 4 weeks, I've already learned so much and met so many people- so many like-minded people. I walk out the door carrying a keyblade, am nearly tackled with excitement by a neighbor in my hall, end up having a photo shoot, and then I remember why I came here, and know for certain that I am destined to be here at Mines, and nowhere else. :D
I hope you're also having a great first-year of college in Belguim!
Your good friend,
-Joelle
...(back to the letter)
I'm sure you know the feeling, you're experiencing it right now in Belgium: going to college for the first time, finally being at a place you can call your own, being responsible for your own life, and being free to explore the world. Many aspects of being here at college remind me of being a foreign exchange student in Brazil where I met you, but with even more freedom, and with that more responsibilities, and more at stake (looking at the score from my first exam...). But it's process and a challenge we must all go through at one point in life. After all, Mines wouldn't be so legendary if we ALL got A's on the first exam.
The campus itself is very nice (despite the slight construction obstacles). It's just the right size, not too big, not too small, everything in perfect walking distance (especially from the traditional dorms), complete with cute little squirrels scurrying around. You look out the window from my 3rd story room, and there are mountains galore!- close enough to even walk to and climb from campus. Even when it's raining and a big foggy cloud is engulfing the M-hill it's beautiful, perfect for running by the creek. Did I mention, the main attraction in Golden: Clear Creek! It's evidently the thing to do for fun in small-town Colorado (as I saw in great numbers when the town was full of people for the bike race): jump in a freezing cold river! Or option 2: float down a freezing cold river on whatever you can find that floats! It turns out to be surprisingly enjoyable, especially when paired with sipping home-made root beer from the local farmer's market. I have always adored Colorado, it's like the outdoors of Utah, but less desert-like and more mountainous, in addition to just the sheer freedom of being in Colorado (or otherwise, the freedom of not being in Utah). It's not that I don't like Utah (I am just so excited to be in college here in Coloradooooo!). And don't even get me started on how excited I am for the snow.
It's been a great first 4 weeks, I've already learned so much and met so many people- so many like-minded people. I walk out the door carrying a keyblade, am nearly tackled with excitement by a neighbor in my hall, end up having a photo shoot, and then I remember why I came here, and know for certain that I am destined to be here at Mines, and nowhere else. :D
I hope you're also having a great first-year of college in Belguim!
Your good friend,
-Joelle
