If I were to boil my fall semester down to a single word, that word would be “rigorous.” The opening of a residence hall, the building of that community, the formation of individual hall staff members into a group. 120 hours of internship. A thesis to hit the ground running on. A group of talented and ambitious student leaders to support and challenge. It was a beautiful blur, yes, and it left me feeling exhausted. Wiped. When I arrived home at Mom and Dad’s for winter break, I needed to simply pause for a bit.

It’s been about three weeks, somehow. As I sit at this computer, I face the familiar feeling of wonder. How is it possible that I am about to embark on another semester-long journey? Thanks to this winter break, however, I know that I am ready.

Continue reading “winter broken.” →

The purpose of this blog is to look forward, but it’s not in my character to do so without looking back. A lot can happen within the time frame of a year. There are victories and setbacks, significant moments and fuzzy stretches, wild adventures and small joys. The idea of reducing a year into a single, digestible entity is most likely implausible. But, were I to do so, were I to shrink 2013 into a chunk of significance, I think I’d call it my “find-your-voice” year.

Continue reading “the “find-your-voice” year | shrinking 2013.” →