First Posted: 2018 October 11
One of my biggest concerns about studying abroad was how homesick I might get. For those of you unfamiliar,1 I’ve lived my entire life in the same beautiful city2 of 8000 or so people. This semester, I decided that I would spend a semester of my life 4100 miles away, in a city of many millions.
I was expecting some culture shock, which I wrote about earlier. But, I was also expecting to get homesick, if only because all of my friends told me I’d feel that way.
Now, the only time I’ve ever been truly homesick was, strangely enough, at a camp at Grinnell College.3 But, I’d never spent so much time away from family, friends, and familiar surroundings. And, the first night, I worried a lot about how homesick I might feel, to the point that I began to feel a little homesick.
But, in the 43 days that have followed,4 that’s the only homesickness I’ve felt. I’ve still got another 70 or so, but I don’t think it’s going to suddenly come on. So, yay! No homesick for me.
One of my biggest concerns about studying abroad was how homesick I might get. For those of you unfamiliar,5 I’ve lived my entire life within the same beautiful city.6 Then, I decided that, just for funsies, I would spend a semester of my life 4100 miles away.
I was expecting some culture shock, which I wrote about earlier. But, I was also expecting to get homesick.
Now, the only time I’ve ever been truly homesick was, strangely enough, at a camp at Grinnell College.7 But, I’d never spent so much time away from family, friends, and familiar surroundings. And, the first night, I worried a lot about how homesick I might feel, to the point that I began to feel a little homesick.
But, it’s been 44 days8 and that’s the only homesickness I’ve felt. I’ve still got another 70 or so, but I don’t think it’s going to suddenly come on. So, yay! No homesick for me.
and unable to use google↩
gotta love Iowa definitions↩
more details may come in the future, if I feel introspective but have nothing else to write about↩
also, I just realized I’d almost forgotten my daily beard photo. Thank goodness for this post↩
and unable to use google↩
gotta love Iowa definitions↩
more details may come in the future, if I feel introspective but have nothing else to write about↩
also, I just realized I’d almost forgotten my daily beard photo. Thank goodness for this post↩
First Posted: 2018 October 101
As I mentioned in an earlier post,2 I plan to leave every draft of every post visible for all eternity.3 All of those drafts have come from a4 continuous writing,5 except in the case of the assignments I have posted, which have taken a few days.6
But, just because I’ve published7 a post doesn’t mean that it’s finished. I’ve left posts before I was satisfied because I was too tired to continue.8 Since my self defined obligation is writing daily, not writing well daily, it’s fine.
Nonetheless, a certain part of my personality9 demands satisfactory writing out of me. So, I may go back and update old posts. If so, I’ll make a note about the fact that I’ve edited them, and also add in the date of first publication, since that will become relevant afterwards.10
As I mentioned in an earlier post,11 I plan to leave every draft of every one of my posts visible for all eternity.12 All of those drafts have come from a single writing stint, except in the case of the assignments I have posted, which have taken a few days.13
But, just because I’ve published14 a post doesn’t mean that it’s finished. I’ve more than once left a post not because I was satisfied, but because I was too tired to continue.15 Since my self defined obligation is writing daily, not writing well daily, it’s fine.
Nonetheless, a certain part of my personality16 demands satisfactory writing out of me. So, I may go back and update old posts. If so, I’ll make a note about the fact that I’ve edited them, and also add in the date of first publication, since that will become relevant afterwards.17
New question: what about the drafts of my written assignments that I wrote earlier than the day that they were posted? I think I’m just going to ignore that in the past, and make an effort to remember in the future. Great.
As I mentioned in an earlier post,18 I’m leaving each draft of my posts up for all eternity.19 But, just because I’ve published20 a post doesn’t mean that it’s finished. I’ve more than once left a post not because I was satisfied, but because I was too tired to continue.21 Since my self defined obligation is writing daily, not writing well daily, it’s fine.
Nonetheless, a certain part of my personality22 demands satisfactory writing out of me. So, I may go back and update old posts. If so, I’ll make a note about the fact that I’ve edited them, and also add in the date of first publication, since that will become relevant afterwards.23 Now the question becomes: do I alert my24 readers about the changes. Advantages: looks like I’m writing even more, lets people see what polished me looks like. Disadvantages: spams other people, I’m not even sure if I want to remember. So, I think I’m not going to make notices when I revise a post, unless there’s a significant reason to. Woo25 good job writing by the seat of my pants26 take two.
As I mentioned in an earlier post,27 I’m leaving each draft of my posts up for all eternity.28 But, just because I’ve published29 a post doesn’t mean that it’s finished. Very often, I’ve left the post unsatisfied, but more tired than able to continue writing. So, I publish it and call it good enough.
But what happens when I decide to revise a post later? Should I just add another draft number to the top? Do I make a note after the draft, like “revised this date”? Ooh, does that mean I should start writing when each draft is written? I think I’m actually going to start doing that. Whoops, instead of solving an issue I just made another. Actually, this works. Now I can just add to new drafts, or even at the top of the page, updated this date. Great job writing at the speed of thought.
the date format that makes the most sense↩︎
it makes the sense that disclaimer is the first post with drafts, but I’m still surprised↩︎
barring any unforeseen circumstances, or the foreseen ones listed in the post↩︎
nominally↩︎
i.e. I get distracted while writing, but the computer never closes and the document is never saved because I like to live dangerously↩︎
because I am good student↩︎
for a liberal definition of publishing↩︎
sometimes I start too tired. Those tend to be the really short posts↩︎
the Type A part↩︎
I’m not going to do so ahead of time because that takes energy, and isn’t worth the effort right now, and I’ll probably forget to in the morning↩︎
hmm I guess it makes the most sense for my disclaimer to be my first post that has drafts, but it was still a surprise↩︎
barring any unforeseen circumstances, or the foreseen ones listed in the post↩︎
I think↩︎
for a generous definition of publishing↩︎
sometimes I start too tired. Those tend to be the really short posts↩︎
the type a part↩︎
I’m not going to do so ahead of time because that takes energy, and isn’t worth the effort right now, and I’ll probably forget to in the morning↩︎
hmm I guess it makes the most sense for my disclaimer to be my first post that has drafts, but it was still a surprise↩︎
barring any unforeseen circumstances, or the foreseen ones listed in the post↩︎
for a generous definition of publishing↩︎
sometimes I start too tired. Those tend to be the really short posts↩︎
the type a part↩︎
I’m not going to do so ahead of time because that takes energy, and isn’t worth the effort right now, and I’ll probably forget to in the morning↩︎
alleged↩︎
Whoo? I have no clue how to spell that sound and refuse to look it up↩︎
I swear that’s a metaphor I’ve heard↩︎
I’m not going to look up which one↩︎
barring any unforeseen circumstances↩︎
for a generous definition of publishing↩︎
In popular media, there’s an expression:1 “growing the beard.” It tends to mean that a show2 has begun to become more serious as it progresses.
While abroad, I’ve begun growing the beard myself. Now, this isn’t to say that I’m not still the joyful, carefree child that I was before I left. I’m growing a literal beard.
The reasons for this are varied. First, I enjoy having a beard, since it means that shaving takes far less time.3 If I only shave my neck,4 I can shave and be done in less than a minute. Even when also doing my cheeks,5 it still takes less than a few minutes. When I have to shave my whole face, it takes a fair amount more time.
Partially, it’s that I feel a much greater need to use shaving cream when doing my whole face. My neck doesn’t need it anymore,6 so if I only need to trim my neck, I can save all the effort there.
Partially, it’s that when I shave my face, I have much higher standards. With my neck and cheeks, I’m satisfied with “less hair than before, looks vaguely like I care.” But, when I’m shaving my whole face, I want it to be smooth. The last time I counted, it took,7 5 strokes with the grain, 5 strokes perpendicular to the grain, and 15 strokes against the grain, all on my very close cutting razor. That’s a lot of time, and it means that I inevitably cut myself at least once.
So, other than convenience, there’s the fact that I like the way I look with a beard. I continually get told I look far younger when clean shaven, so this way I don’t. Tying into that reason, it’s also a way of mapping my time.
Every one of my friends8 has at one point or another expressed to me that my beard has an ideal length. That generally comes in the form of “your beard is the wrong length,” but. So, while in London, I’m also taking a daily photo of my beard growth to document its progress. I take a photo in a different place everyday, as a way to motivate me to remember where I am.
Next, and most practically, we’ve passed the summer solstice. Days are getting shorter. Nights, therefore, are getting longer. In theory it’s getting colder.9 Having a beard means that I’ll keep warm as the days get colder.
So, the reasons are: convenience, appearance, documentation, and warmth. I think that’s all the reasons I’m growing it out, but I also tend to make up reasons as asked, so it’s possible that more have existed in the past, or will in the future.
well, many expressions. This is one of them↩
or other medium↩
after shaving for the past 7 years (I think 7, maybe 8 by now)↩
because fashion says not to have hair on your neck↩
because apparently that’s another area↩
although it does feel nice when I use it↩
for each 1-3 inch section↩
note: if you haven’t and consider me a friend, I also have confirmation bias here, so don’t worry, we’re still friends↩
it was 20 degrees (F) cooler here than in Iowa when I left, so I just accept that temperature isn’t real↩
Today, I had the immense fortune of seeing Arinzé Kene’s “Misty” at the Trafalgar Theatre. Misty1 tells the story of a man writing a theatrical work. Throughout the process, he deals with internal doubt, lack of support from friends and family, and pressures from the theatre administration. It was an incredible experience, and not one that I can otherwise summarize.
The set began basically, with a cube-like shape on the stage. Where its shadow might go, the stage was roughened. Throughout, the stage and set are changed mostly through lighting.
The sounds of the show came both from prerecorded audio and from two live musicians. At times, it was difficult to tell what was prerecorded, and what was being done live, which was also true of the performance itself.
Though serious, the show was at many points incredibly funny. Though funny, many of the jokes still pointed to deeper issues.
Overall, it was an experience I would repeat in a heartbeat
as far as I could tell↩︎
Mark 10:15 “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”
Today is the 27 Sunday of Ordinary Time in Year B.
The main focus of today’s readings is marriage,1 but the line that stuck out to me was in the optional section of the Gospel. After exhorting the Pharisees that divorce is not from God, he talks to his disciples. Jesus tells the disciples that they must have faith like a child. For most of my life, this was one of the pieces of the Gospel I had the hardest time believing. As I look back, I realize it’s mostly that I have a problem with unquestioned faith. To be more precise, I have a problem with being told not to question my faith.
More importantly, I remember being a child. I questioned everything. And I do mean everything. I asked the normal questions, “why is the grass green,” “why is the sky blue,” and so on. I also2 asked slightly odder questions, including many about my faith. I don’t think that I was not a normal child in that regard. But, I did trust that whoever I was asking would know the answer, and tell me the truth.
That’s what having the faith of a child means to me. Children don’t blindly follow, but they do follow. They question, but they trust in answers. There’s a sense of joy that comes with every question, and a sense of peace that comes with every answer.
Mark 10:15 “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”
Today is the 27 Sunday of Ordinary Time in Year B.
The main focus of today’s readings is marriage, but the line that stuck out to me was in the optional section of the Gospel. Jesus tells the disciples that they must have faith like a child. Now, this is a belief that I’ve had a lot of trouble accepting the explanations for in my life. The way I tend to hear it expressed is that we should believe unquestioningly.
But, I remember being a child. I questioned everything. Questions like “Why is the sky blue? Why is grass green?” and so on were a constant feature in my life. And to me, that’s what child-like faith is about. It’s not blindly following, it’s questioning everything, to really learn about it. There’s a blind trust that the person answering your questions knows the answer,3 and that the person answering will tell the truth.4 And, there’s a sense of joy and wonder when we learn something new. I still remember the constant sense of excitement I used to get whenever I learned something new. So, faith like a child means questioning everything, not nothing.
Today was1 the annual 10/10 celebration at Grinnell College. It’s weird being further away from it than I ever have been before. Apparently in years past, students in my program would host an event for the Grinnell students in Europe. That didn’t happen this year. I wonder if that’s another 10/10 tradition that’s gone forever.
is?↩︎
Prereading note: There’s mentions of injury and blood, so if you don’t want to read about that, avoid today.
As some of you know, I’m somewhat1 non-risk-averse.2 And, that often results in some fun stories.
My favorite stories are probably: the time I scalped myself,3 the time I set my hair on fire,4 the time I bled through fiberglass,5 and the time that I found out that all of the not brown6 in my eye can fall to the bottom if I hit my eye correctly. Today, I get to have a new one! The time I broke my nose.
All things considered, it’s somewhat surprising to me that I’ve never broken it before. But, I was learning new skills today, and then misinterpreted a direction. I was on my hands, trying to learn a handstand forward roll, when I heard “go into a ball”. Now, I normally just pull my legs to my chest when I’m supposed to do that, so I did.
As you might expect, that threw me off balance. My knee came crashing down, and I heard a crunch. There was a lot of blood coming out.
But, small blessings still exist. I didn’t get any other injuries. Because of how I fell, my nose didn’t get bent out of place. I was surrounded by friends who helped me mop up the blood and start recovery.
But, I can now report on what a broken nose feels like.7 It felt almost entirely like an ice cream headache. My nose still hurts to touch, but that’s fine. Up at the bridge, it was really slidy, and I could move it from side to side and up and down.8 Here’s hoping it heals well!
The concept of a day is an interesting one. Should it be based on sunrise, sunset, midnight, noon or sleep? Until today, I was operating under the idea of midnight, since that’s what the law says. Today, since I forgot about time, I’m using the idea of sleep cycles. So, this.
I dove for the first time in London today, and it was great. I forgot how much I love diving. After my second dive, the coach said “wow you look really happy up there.” Sorry this is so abrupt, but my legs hurt from pole dancing,1 and I’m tired. Can’t wait to be diving with the team again though.
will be discussed in the future↩
Today, I had the second day of my class. It went much better than the first. At one point, someone else was unsure of what functional groups was on the molecule, and I made a new friend by telling him.1 I feel much more like I belong.
But, the whole experience made me realize some things. For as quickly as I got over it, there was a non-zero amount of time where I seriously considered dropping the class, and finding something else to take instead. If I, a stereotypically normal STEAM2 person, who never feels out of place in STEAM classes, or really any classes at my home school,3 felt out of place because I didn’t know something, how much worse must it be for people who come in already feeling like they don’t belong?
I don’t know, and I’m pretending that my experience with this is comparable to those who are from traditionally underrepresented groups. Instead, this really showcased for me the importance of the different outreach programs that exist to encourage these groups to continue with STEAM.
But, before I ramble on too much, I did really enjoy this class. I’m really excited to learn about polymers, and I hope that I’ll be able to take some of the knowledge back with me.4
GC Organic Chemistry still haunts me↩
Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture (yes I’m from Iowa, how’d you know?), and Mathematics↩
almost typed University. London is getting to me↩
not that I think it’ll get confiscated at the border, just that I’m not sure if it’ll be relevant to my life at any point while the memory is fresh↩