Jan 4, 2008
Rain
I feel like I owe you an apology. I haven't been writing anything, and I'm sorry about that. I got a little wrapped up in this paper I had due, in the excitement at the end of the semester, in exams, in the break, in life. My break was good but busy, going all over the country trying to see six different sets of people in six different cities, driving so much that I probably raised the earth's temperature a few degrees singlehandedly. I got to see mostly everyone I wanted to see, though, and spent some time with my family, which was nice.
Coming back to school was both exciting and overwhelming. The break was too short, as they inevitably are, but I wanted to see my friends. I got to hang out with them for a little while before classes started--some of them threw a party and got busted while the rest of us sat and talked about our breaks, watching the clocks change and willing them to slow (just this once) so we could keep talking and stay out of class.
Coming back to school was both exciting and overwhelming. The break was too short, as they inevitably are, but I wanted to see my friends. I got to hang out with them for a little while before classes started--some of them threw a party and got busted while the rest of us sat and talked about our breaks, watching the clocks change and willing them to slow (just this once) so we could keep talking and stay out of class.
My semester started off in possibly the most ridiculous way ever. I showed up for my first class about twenty minutes early, nerd that I am, and waited patiently for everyone else to show. About five minutes before class was set to begin, I began to freak. No one had showed. Not even the professor. I had either gone to the wrong room or they had changed it and I didn't get the memo. I had my computer with me, so I whipped it out and checked my schedule online, but something had changed. The building code and room number on my schedule for the class, sometime within the past twenty-four hours, had been deleted (bad thing). I went to the Circle Park office. They told me to go to religious studies. I went to religious studies, and they told me to go to philosophy. I showed up on the tenth floor of the cramped humanities tower (it smells like a strange mixture between decaying books and cigarettes) and my luck slowly began to change. The woman at the desk, Susan Williams, politely informed me that my class had been cancelled, and that none of the other sections would fit into my schedule. This conversation took about thirty minutes. She then offered to fit me into another class that would fulfill even more of my gen. ed. requirements (good thing). I thanked her profusely and went on my, now, merry way.
The next day I had to wake up at seven and walk a mile in the pouring rain to my physics lecture, getting books ($300), calculator ($100), clothes, shoes, paper, and bag completely soaked. I have physics and biology in the same morning, and if I die within the next semester, arrest those two professors. They both look like they are going to be really good teachers, but the subject matter is going to be ridiculous. On second thought, if I die, arrest physics itself.
I'm sorry if I am boring you, but I just want to be honest. UT isn't always sunshine and Stepford. Things get messed up, it rains, classes are hard, life happens...and then it goes on.
Later that day, I dried everything out and went to my creative writing class. We talked about what our favorite music is, which cheered me up considerably. Right now, I'm listening to Love is Hell by Ryan Adams, and sometimes that's all I need to feel like things have some sort of continuity and everything will end up alright.
This beautiful photo was provided by my friend and artist, Katie Burriss. Many thanks.
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2 Comments:
Hey Alex;
I am from Tennessee but middle Tennessee about three hours drive west of Knoxville closer to I65. IT actually runs right by where I gre up. anyway, I love you blog the most because you are honest and you tell things like it is which is what aspiring Ut'ers (is that a word) well it is now) but it gets down to the point and you tell your experiance there how it is. Well I was wandering what your favorite thing about UT is. You can't say the environment because I have been to Louisianna and I have been to Knoxville. I personally think Baton Rouge was better but hey there are definatly some great things to do in tennessee which brings me back to my question if you had to say what your favorite thing in almost a year of college there would be than what is it? Oh and I guess you will be at the game this fall. LSU is coming to the Hill to play. ah the rivalry. What to do?
Hey,
My favorite thing about UT is the fact that there is always something to do. I grew up in a smaller kind of town, and it's nice to have so many things to do and people to see.
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