There's No Place Like Home

Well, I've already missed posting once every week, but I will excuse myself because it was a pretty busy week. Last Wednesday, I got to go back home to Wisconsin for the first time since about April of this year. Needless to say, it was a long time since I had been home. It was great to see family and friends and spend some time away from school and all the stuff going on here. I was privileged to be a part of my friend Pete's wedding over the weekend, which was the main reason I traveled back. Although I didn't know most of the people in the wedding, everyone was very friendly and enjoyable to be around, which made it a very enjoyable experience. I also got to see some friends and family in the Chicago area for a brief lunch. It was not much time, but enough to get a little caught up and just to enjoy seeing them all again. I was disturbed, however, to see how much has been built in the quickly-expanding western suburbs of Chicago just since I moved in June. A Kohl's, Meijer, and Lowe's, in addition to other strip mall type stores were nearly completed in Oswego that had scarcely been started when I moved. It made me a little sad because I have become accustomed to the abundant foliage in North Carolina, which is nowhere in sight throughout the western suburbs. I also realized how much I didn't miss driving in Chicago traffic.

The trip on the whole was incredibly busy, especially with preparing for the wedding and trying to see everyone I wanted to see in such a short time. Unfortunately, I think I probably ended up spending less time with everyone than I would have liked. I guess that's what happens when you have only limited time and unlimited things to do and see. Despite greatly enjoying the time I spent at home this past weekend, it was also nice to come back to my new home. There's something about the normal routine and the comfort it provides that always feels welcome. I love and miss everyone back in the midwest, and for those of you I saw this weekend, I appreciate the time we spent together, even if it was short.

I have to admit it was pretty nice coming back here and getting up the next day to 70 degrees. It's also pretty fun to rub that in to y'all up in the north!

A search for a constant

I have decided that my blog needs, and possibly deserves, some sort of purpose. I have been blogging aimlessly and sporadically for the last year and a half, but I felt that now was an appropriate time to give my blog a makeover. I realized how much my life is full of changes, daily changes sometimes. Especially as I pursue my education, I have no idea where I will end up in a year, let alone five years. I also realized as I was writing my personal statement for my grad school applications how much I love to write. Over the years I have grown more and more fond of writing, and I often feel like I can express myself better through the art of writing. So, I figured the only natural conclusion was to take this blogging thing a little more serious and make it my constant. Let me explain what I mean about making blogging my constant. Most likely you will still read some completely random posts, but the focus of the constant is not to provide a set theme or purpose for the blog, the focus is to provide one thing in my life that I can go to every week and just write whatever. Often I feel overwhelmed by the massive life changes that I am currently experiencing, and this blog is one way I can still feel connected to my family and friends in addition to staying grounded myself. So, if you don't see a post from me at least once a week, leave angry comments. I won't get offended, just inspired. So there you have it--a new blog with a new purpose (and a cool new title!)

The Yankees yanked everyone's chain again.

That's right...for the who knows how many times since 2000, the Yankees have swaggered big stuff all season only to be eliminated before even reaching the World Series. I have to admit Georgey and his multi-million dollar company have once again made my fall baseball viewing that much more pleasurable. If the Yankees didn't make it to the playoffs every year only to be eliminated, I would have no one to root so passionately against. So, I guess for that a thanks is in order for the steamrollers of baseball (and by that I mean they steamroll every other team with their enormous payroll truck). So I hope the Yankees continue to make the playoffs because it makes for a very exciting postseason when 200 million dollars worth of players lose to a small-market team in the first round. That's really all I have to say about that...I have a feeling I'm probably preaching to the choir anyway, and I haven't blogged in a while as well.

By the way, for the two people who actually might read my blog occasionally, Melissa and I found an awesome church in Durham that we go to, and we've just started getting involved in a young married couples small group. It's a bit of a drive, but it was a sacrifice we were willing to make.