A Fertile Future

[gotefrisk]

So, I couldn't possibly be happier that I took this year off. I learned a huge amount about the temple, myself, people, and life. I'm now ready to learn as much as I possibly can. Last year at this point, I would absolutely NOT have been ready for school, not the way I am now. I'm PSYCHED to be in Portland-- there are so many opportunities, I can't believe it. After this year, I know my own limits, I know what's important to me, and I know what's completely irrelevant. As usual, I have too many ideas of what I want to do with my life, and it's an amazing. Right now I'm feeling a biochem major, top it off with a masters in food science from Calpoly (because who doesn't want to spend a couple years in San Luis Obispo?). Back before my dad was fat and old he was a windsurf-nut so he's offered to pay for windsurfing lessons at the Gorge (some of the best windsurfing in the US, and only an hour or so away from Portland). I also really want to continue to do some baking, I'm gonna shoot for a job doing slavework for one of the bakeries in Portland (there are a few really interesting places, one owned by a guy from NM)... right now I just want to do EVERYTHING. I can't possibly learn enough cool stuff, and right now, everything is amazingly entertaining. I just want to jump into my life, I can't fuckin' wait. Things are really starting to come together. Classes start in less than a month, I leave for school in 2 weeks, I've pretty much bought everything I need for school, so it's really, really starting to feel real. To be honest, I am definitely a little worried about integrating into a setting where I'm hanging out with people my age who are on their "own" for the first time ever, and my dad's worried about it, too... but honestly, I think he trusts me. I was throwing it out there that I might want to stay in Portland over the summer if I can find a job and an apartment, and honestly I really didn't expect him to let that fly, but so far he seems... genuinely supportive. I think he's proud that I'm growing up. Even though he still wants to help me put sauce on my Chinese food and worries about me when I'm in Boston all by myself for 8 hours. It's gotta be difficult for him to see his baby daughter growing up. It's nice to know that although my curfew here is still 10PM, he's still happy to see me wanting to integrate into society as a pseudo-adult.

Note: Thinking about it, he's both proud and terrified that I'm a lot like he was at my age. Except less drugs, although I'm not sure that he knows that.