I’m here, but I’m not really here. Grad school is some intense manual labor but I’m finally getting into a routine. I’m a full-time student at UC Denver (Masters in Urban and Regional Planning) and a part-time employee at CU Boulder. The commute isn’t so bad, especially now that I’ve got some great TedTalks podcasts to keep me going. Otherwise, I use that hour to sleep or let my mind wander. I don’t like the idea of commuting, because for me it equates waste. Resource and time waste. But I make myself feel just a little better by riding my bike and busing it every day. We’ll see how I feel once the snow starts to come down… but for now I’m set. I even got a wonderful basket for the front of my bike, on the days when I’m trucking too much with me. Don’t forget the bell, so I don’t have to shout “Wide load coming through!!”
Denver is a pretty neat city, by the way. I never really knew that, since as an adolescent I never spent much time there. But, the architecture is actually really interesting (some of the city’s planning ordinances make for really innovative spaces -combining the historic and the modern). And I found this delicious little crepe restaurant off of Lawrence and 16th St, that I’ve already spent too much money on. The downside to working and studying at large universities is that everyone probably thinks that I’m an undergraduate. Not that it’s far from the truth (as I’m only just over a year out of Smith), but I feel a distinct separation from them. At CU, most of the undergrads that I deal with are complete idiots and I would love to put as much distance between me and them as possible. And at UCD, most of the students on campus look like they’re going through an identity crisis, and I’d like to think that I’m over that. But, ironically, I’ve been in doubt about my architecture duel degree recently. Should I spend the next four years tied to my studio desk at all hours of the night? Or should I put my effort completely in planning and be out by 2013? Why do I have to be so ambitious and interested in everything?
So, if I didn’t make it clear; I’m here but not really here since I’m sometimes over there or in between and my mind is too far ahead to even reach.
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In other news, Chloe’s birthday is coming up in two and a half weeks. I’m picking up my bridesmaid dress on Friday and have covered my bases with the bachelorette party planning. I’d buy her a gift already, if I didn’t know that she could see exactly who buys what on her registry. The dirty little secrets of weddings.
Also, I’m excited to hear Nicole’s amazing news and I would spread it to the world, if it was my place to say anything. She really sounds like she’s in a good place now, and I can’t express how reassuring and uplifting that is. She has her old pep back in her voice… I missed her so much.
