Summer Idleness

I should be busy, but I have this incredible ability to do absolutely nothing for days! I should be collecting things, getting ready for Creation Fest in late June. I should be compiling things that I need for England (like a visa). I should be picking up more shifts at Red Robin (though they schedule me nearly every day, so the thought of working more is pretty disgusting). Well, today's my day! Visa application completed! Final college transcripts sent! Tent and tent paraphernalia found! aaaaaaaand... well, I was scheduled to work today anyway, so that kind of counts!

Andy heard back from his recruiter. He'll be heading off to boot camp August 4th. It's great to finally have a date, but it's really late in the summer. So that means I'll get to see him off for boot camp, but I won't get to see him graduate, and he won't be able to see me off to England. Neither of us is sure what our schedules will be like starting in August, so there's a possibility that we won't see each other for 13 months. More than likely we'll get to see each other at least twice over the next year.... but who knows. I've been trying to come up with ideas on how to stay connected while we're apart. Since talking on the phone will be hard with our different schedules (not to mention time zones!), I thought it'd be nice to keep a journal for each other. Basically a compilation of letters, but in journal form. This way, not necessarily every night, but at least once a week, we take a concerted amount of time to spend thinking and talking to the other person. And then, of course, at the end of the year, we have this massive journal to give to the other person. Any other suggestions?

Yesterday I got a letter from Florida Atlantic University. They accepted me into their Anthropology department and wanted to give me a free ride and $4,000/year plus 9 credits to TA for an Intro to Anthropology course. I read the letter and immediately went, "FRICK!". Obviously I'm still really looking forward to going to Durham, and it's a better fit in terms of curriculum and focus, but I would've loved to TA, not to mention get a scholarship to help pay for grad school! Who knows, though, had I gotten both acceptances at the same time, I probably (most definitely) would've chosen Durham.

So the rest of my summer contains Creation Fest in late June, my cousin's wedding in mid-July, packing Andy off to boot in early August, vacationing in Maine in mid-August, and then off to England in September. Ooo! And I'm getting my hair cut in early September. I know it doesn't sound as exciting as everything else, but I really really hate my current haircut and I'm so totally pumped to do something new... something along the lines of:






but on a not-so-skinny brunette, erhm, currently redhead, obviously.

In the very very very beginning...

Last week I was accepted into Durham University's Masters of Science program in Evolutionary Anthropology. I'm absolutely thrilled at the prospect of studying abroad again. I get to spend an entire year (Oct-Sept) in England, studying evolutionary anthropology as it applies to social interactions and behavior. Sounds pretty perfect, huh? I found (or rather my father found!) the program that beautifully united my interests in evolution as well as culture/s. and even better, I was accepted into that program!

Andy, my boyfriend of 2 1/2 years has decided to enlist in the Coast Guard. After three years of researching options, getting together information, losing over 80 pounds, and two unsuccessful applications to Officer Candidate School, he's committed so much to being a part of the Coast Guard, that the next step is to enlist. From that position, he is more likely to be accepted to Officer Candidate School; and even if he never attends OCS, he will still be a part of a wonderful organization that will give him a copious amount of life skills, abilities, pride and future opportunities. I'm so proud of everything he's accomplished to pursue his goal, and I'm even prouder that he has not given up despite some set backs and hard news.

It's a wonderful, wildly new, chapter that I'll be starting this fall. It's going to be hard to be away from friends and family while undertaking a rigorous academic schedule. It will be very hard to find a new routine to communicate with Andy and keep our relationship strong despite being so far away from each other. Although I'll be in beautiful Durham, so I suppose some of the pain will be eased! And at the end of one year, I will have a degree and a ridiculous number of memories, I'm sure.

So the point of this blog is to keep all of you up to date while I prepare to leave for Durham, am in Durham studying, traveling, and learning. It'll be a crazy great experience! and since we all know how much I abhor the telephone, what better way to report back to you than via blog?! Everything's open here to everyone, so feel free to leave comments/advice/haikus!



Durham's skyline, dominated by Durham Cathedral


The Shield of St. Aidan's College, the specific college at Durham University I will be attending