first post in years
well after reading some of my posts from freshman year of college, it's come as a surprise to see how whiny and depressed i was. although, the nature of keeping an online journal generally denotes that there are problems you just need to express in some way, my entries where i'm belly-aching about how bored i am at home helps me realize what i loser i was... perhaps still am. i don't really know why i've decided to continue writing, but i must say there is a therapeutic aspect to it. the random thoughts, feelings, and reflections i have are able to manifest themselves in some tangible way giving them more weight and, in some aspect, more meaning. i can now have some record of how i felt at a specific moment in my life, which may not have much significance but could be fun to read some day in the distant future.
at this time, i'm lying in my dorm bed in the city of Maastricht, my home for the past 4 months. this trip has had its ups and downs, its pleasant surprises, its interminable lulls; overall, it's been an unforgettable experience and i wish i could do it all over again... maybe in spain :P those spaniards definitely know how to have fun. unfortunately, i haven't met too many dutch people during my stay, and i'm a bit sad that i won't be learning anymore dutch after i return to the u.s. i've come to the conclusion that i actually love learning and speaking new languages, it's just the language classes that i'm unable to endure. the prospect of communicating with someone in their own language as opposed to english is so much more appealing due to the fact that so much information about the person is lost as a result of the language barrier. one can't truly get a feel for the person's personality, their humor, their complex thought processes on some controversial subject just because they have to translate their thoughts into english. unfortunately, i'm not proficient enough in any language besides english and i can't have a good conversation with many of the international students here as a consequence of this miscommunication. despite my newly discovered passion for language, i'm highly unmotivated to begin learning a new one because i know that once in the states i will never speak the language except in class... besides spanish.
so, that post was quite pointless but i may start to make a habit out of this in my spare time as opposed to wasting my life and money on poker, or sitting around watching the simpsons. i feel that i'm in need of more intellectual stimulation, especially in the area of literature. being articulate has never been my strong suit, but i've discovered that being able to convey ones thoughts in a clear, eloquent, and easily digestible manner is a very beneficial skill to develop. hanging around my friends ian, from ucsb, and chris, from england, has definitely prompted me to strive for better thought organization and subsequently improved communication of those thoughts. hopefully, writing in this journal will also yield improvements in my communication abilities.
The end.
at this time, i'm lying in my dorm bed in the city of Maastricht, my home for the past 4 months. this trip has had its ups and downs, its pleasant surprises, its interminable lulls; overall, it's been an unforgettable experience and i wish i could do it all over again... maybe in spain :P those spaniards definitely know how to have fun. unfortunately, i haven't met too many dutch people during my stay, and i'm a bit sad that i won't be learning anymore dutch after i return to the u.s. i've come to the conclusion that i actually love learning and speaking new languages, it's just the language classes that i'm unable to endure. the prospect of communicating with someone in their own language as opposed to english is so much more appealing due to the fact that so much information about the person is lost as a result of the language barrier. one can't truly get a feel for the person's personality, their humor, their complex thought processes on some controversial subject just because they have to translate their thoughts into english. unfortunately, i'm not proficient enough in any language besides english and i can't have a good conversation with many of the international students here as a consequence of this miscommunication. despite my newly discovered passion for language, i'm highly unmotivated to begin learning a new one because i know that once in the states i will never speak the language except in class... besides spanish.
so, that post was quite pointless but i may start to make a habit out of this in my spare time as opposed to wasting my life and money on poker, or sitting around watching the simpsons. i feel that i'm in need of more intellectual stimulation, especially in the area of literature. being articulate has never been my strong suit, but i've discovered that being able to convey ones thoughts in a clear, eloquent, and easily digestible manner is a very beneficial skill to develop. hanging around my friends ian, from ucsb, and chris, from england, has definitely prompted me to strive for better thought organization and subsequently improved communication of those thoughts. hopefully, writing in this journal will also yield improvements in my communication abilities.
The end.