survey, continued
10 years ago: I was eighteen, and was five weeks into my first semester at Iowa State University. I was living in Lundgren Hall, in MacDonald House, with a kid from north of Waterloo named Andy who liked racing cars and rap music. He had a huge stereo that took up our entire dresser countertop. I had a lofted bed that cost me $40. I was studying engineering major, and I hated calculus and physics I was somewhat homesick, I missed my girlfriend, I missed my brother, but I was beginning to really enjoy college life. I didn't drink, but I had discovered the internet. I played a lot of Descent. I spent a lot of time wondering why the hell I joined ROTC.
5 years ago: I was 23. I was living more or less by myself in a one-bedroom apartment in Champaign. I had been dating evilone79 for more than two years by that point, and we were practically inseperable when she wasn't in class and I wasn't at work, as a "supervisor" (whatever the hell that meant) at Osco Drug. I had moved from the internet to alcohol as my diversion of choice. Murphy's Pub was like a second home to me. I had re-applied for admittance back into University of Illinois for the previous August but they wouldn't let me back in ... too far along, and too far away from graduation. I hung out a lot, biding my time until something happened.
1 year ago: I was 27, and was four weeks into my first year of graduate school at Northern Illinois University. We were renting (and continue to rent) an old farmhouse in downtown St. Charles. I discovered a passion for Indonesia that I had not ever known. I tried to not befriend anybody, and found that process circumvented once again by large amounts of beer. I learned to hate the campus of NIU, and love the library.
Yesterday: Came home after dropping Kelly off at the train station, made a pot of coffee, and worked on my Indonesian homework. Drove to class, left St. Charles at 11:30, made it to DeKalb by 12:30. Walked to class, reviewing my vocabulary, and filled out a crossword. Got a perfect score on my last exam. Left class at 1:50, met up with Kathryn to grab a beer and review her paper for a conference. Meeting went well. Left DeKalb by 4:00, home by 4:45, after getting gas in Cortland at $2.89/gal. Watched some Simpsons. Got Kelly at the train at 5:05, dropped her friend off at her car, came home, finished the crossword as Kelly did the bills, watched TV, and asleep by 11:30.
5 years ago: I was 23. I was living more or less by myself in a one-bedroom apartment in Champaign. I had been dating evilone79 for more than two years by that point, and we were practically inseperable when she wasn't in class and I wasn't at work, as a "supervisor" (whatever the hell that meant) at Osco Drug. I had moved from the internet to alcohol as my diversion of choice. Murphy's Pub was like a second home to me. I had re-applied for admittance back into University of Illinois for the previous August but they wouldn't let me back in ... too far along, and too far away from graduation. I hung out a lot, biding my time until something happened.
1 year ago: I was 27, and was four weeks into my first year of graduate school at Northern Illinois University. We were renting (and continue to rent) an old farmhouse in downtown St. Charles. I discovered a passion for Indonesia that I had not ever known. I tried to not befriend anybody, and found that process circumvented once again by large amounts of beer. I learned to hate the campus of NIU, and love the library.
Yesterday: Came home after dropping Kelly off at the train station, made a pot of coffee, and worked on my Indonesian homework. Drove to class, left St. Charles at 11:30, made it to DeKalb by 12:30. Walked to class, reviewing my vocabulary, and filled out a crossword. Got a perfect score on my last exam. Left class at 1:50, met up with Kathryn to grab a beer and review her paper for a conference. Meeting went well. Left DeKalb by 4:00, home by 4:45, after getting gas in Cortland at $2.89/gal. Watched some Simpsons. Got Kelly at the train at 5:05, dropped her friend off at her car, came home, finished the crossword as Kelly did the bills, watched TV, and asleep by 11:30.