Thursday, February 01, 2007

Miserable Weather, Pretty Happy Life

Hey all! Well, I think some of my Midwest friends/enemies finally got around to cursing me for my excessive bragging about North Carolina weather. Today was miserable. It was just above freezing, there was a persistent rain that seemed to be coming from every direction, and the winds were so strong that my flimsy umbrella didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in You-Know-Where.

The worst part was the fact that Thursdays are my busiest days. I’m in and out all day long, and every trek to class made me thoroughly soaked. I must have changed clothes at least twice. Plus, I had an exam that I didn’t study for, and a paper that I had to make 10 copies of (note: copying machines are now a step up on my Worst Enemy List. Some other people might be on there too if I ever find proof that they caused today’s weather).

But now for the good news. There’s a chance that I might get to go to New Zealand for four weeks over the summer. There’s a neat program where you can spend two weeks doing conservation volunteer work, and another two weeks doing outdoor adventure stuff. I was sold when they mentioned “black water rafting,” which sounds like whitewater rafting except for the fact that the river you’re doing down is underground. Which means, it’s inside a cave. Which means, it’s something that I think just might be the coolest thing ever. Spaces are limited, so cross your fingers and hope that I can go!

Other good news is that I’m really just feeling happy. I think the shift in weather was good for me to a certain degree, because it kind of gave me a day that was memorable: a slight break from the routine. I often find that I get so caught up in the ebb and flow of daily life that weeks, months, and years go by without my really noticing or remembering the things about them that were special. Today was special, though, despite the cold wet socks, the muddy K-Swiss shoes, and the ruined umbrella. It was brisk, and it kept me on my toes, and the coldness of the outdoors made the warmth of the inside, the warmth of my friends, even more enjoyable.

By the way, if you want to pray for something that’s totally irrelevant but just might make my day a week from now, pray that I can get tickets to the Straylight Run concert. They’re coming to town in about six days, and I haven’t gotten around to getting my tickets yet. If you haven’t heard of them, they’re an indie rock band that was formed by the former backup vocalist and bassist of Taking Back Sunday. They had one minor hit a few years back called “Existentialism on Prom Night,” the video to which I’ve linked to here. Enjoy!

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