We Were Merely Freshman

Since I haven't updated in almost three months, I figured it was time for an update.

Well, summer school officially began about a month ago and it's back to work for me! A few exciting things have happened in the last couple of weeks or so. A tornado tore through my hometown leaving tons of damage and taking one life a few weeks ago. It happened while I was in Canada with Mom and Mallory. It was sad to come home to a lot of devastation but I am grateful that the rest of my family and friends were okay. It could have been a lot worse.

However, vacation was a lot of fun! We went to Banff and Calgary, Canada this year. We enjoyed the mountains and Lake Louise in Banff as well as some shopping up and down the streets downtown. We also went on a rafting trip with about 15 retired people. That was interesting. We rode the gondolas up to Mount Sulphur and the view from up top was stunning. It never did snow while we were there but it was rather chilly. We mainly shopped at various shopping centers in Calgary and rode up to the top of the Calgary Tower our last day. The tower had glass floors and it was quite scary. We did have one mishap in Calgary. Our first day there, we were still trying to get used to the train and how the system worked there and well Mom forgot to get change for our passes back to the station that was close to our hotel. We technically boarded the train illegally and prayed no one would check our passes. After boarding the wrong train, hopping on another, and making our second stop, Calgary police came onto the train asking for our passes and transfers. Well, we played like "dumb Americans" and pretended that we thought our passes were good for the whole day and they were actually very nice about it. They gave us free transfers for the next train and we went on our way. Mom was pretty nervous though...she hadn't planned for us to go to Canadian jail that day, hehe.

Those have been the two most exciting things that have happened.

I have had quite a few friends move away in the last couple of weeks or so. There have been a few actually drop out of school and a few graduate and move onto another chapter in their life. It's crazy how fast time flies. These friends have been some of my closest friends since freshman year. When I first came to school here, I kind of had the mindset that it would be neverending even though I knew in the back of my mind it would all come to an end someday. It's just fascinating to witness how much we really do mature over the course of four years as well as witnessing the different paths we all choose to travel upon.

I'm not sure where I'll be this time a year from now. I could still be here at the Beanery blogging about moving to another city (hopefully Austin, TX for grad school) or feeling the anxiety of moving to another town to begin my teaching career. I am not sure I am ready to grow up yet. I am anxious and excited for what the future holds for me but a part of me is having those same feelings of uncertainty and intimidation that I had when I walked onto that practice marching field for the first time as a scared and unsure freshman four years ago.

One of my favorite songs of all time is "The Freshman" by The Verve Pipe. The song tells a story of a young adult who is reflecting back on his life of his youthful years. He remembers the mistakes he had made but also remembers how he overcame the hurt and confusion. He grew in wisdom because of the trials he had faced and learned a lot about himself and who he truly was.

I can relate to this song a lot and I think others can too. I think there will always be a little bit of that "freshman" in all of us...that feeling of uncertainty and confusion but also a time for learning and growing into the person we hope to one day be...that person who is fearless, confident, and wise. I hope to be successful in my studies as a graduate student if I am accepted to UT and if not, I hope to be a successful teacher. I want to stand out from other teachers and make a positive difference in someone's life. I hope along the way I can make new friendships but keep old friendships as well. I hope I don't fail too badly but if I do, I hope I can learn from my mistakes and grow. I know God has a plan for me and I plan on taking it and running with it.

That's all I have for now. :)

Until next time,
Erin Taylor