The big news of the moment is Nicole enjoying her first few weeks of being unemployed after quitting the job that was making her miserable. Last week, she and her best friend drove down to central California to visit her parents. It was the first time she's seen her immediate family since last May when
her and I made the trip and I met her parents. Nicole's parents seemed alright and considering it's always awkward to meet your girlfriend's parents for the first time, I thought all in all that it was a good trip.
Fast forward to last week. So Nicole and her friend go down there (I couldn't go since they don't really allow time off for new people at my new job) and the trip turns out to be a disaster. Their car didn't break down nor did they lose valuables or any of the bad things that you would expect to ruin a vacation, no. Apparently, the trip was lousy because of Nicole's parents' behavior. The entire time they were there, her parents didn't seem to notice or care that they had special guests. Worse, I'm told they were unfriendly and strange. The whole trip sounds like it was a surreal roller coaster of disappointment. They couldn't wait to get home; going so far as to be on the road at 5 in the morning on their drive back to Portland. Nicole hasn't exactly told me all the events of the trip, but I get the big picture. We feel sorry for her siblings who have to live there still and I feel bad for the relationships that just aren't there anymore. Going forward, Nicole isn't planning on having much contact with her parents but did mention to her younger brother that Portland might be a place he can escape to. That's a story for another journal entry, however.
Ten years ago today, I graduated with a bachelors degree from Eastern Oregon University. Unlike my ten-year high school anniversary, there appears to have been no reunion unless I wasn't informed. I've given a lot of thought over the years about what my time at EOU meant and whether or not it was worth it to go to that school in particular let alone go to college altogether. My conclusion is that-while the degree I earned in the field of Media Arts isn't all that valuable-the lasting friendships and memories from those four years from 2000 to 2004 are precious to me and have made me who I am today.
I would not be who or where or what I am without my time in college. Sometimes I'll be irrational and decide that going to a larger university would have been in my best interest and that if I had the chance, I might go back and visit my younger self to persuade him onto a different path. But when I start down that line of thinking, it reminds me that I would have had a completely different life and there's no promise that it would have been better; just different. Do I regret the college I picked? Sometimes, but that's only because I occasionally see the extreme success of other people. Have I accomplished everything I was hoping to have done ten years out from college? Not exactly, but I've had fun and I like the challenges I have right now in my life.
I think that when it's all said and done, I've spent my life trying to figure out what I want to do with my life and I'm still not there. I wasn't there ten years ago when I graduated and I don't know if I'll ever truly know. But the good news is that I'm okay with that. I have a great girlfriend, a fun new job, and we're on the verge of moving in to a new apartment. Things are really looking good and at this moment, I'm happy. And I owe that to the decisions I made ten years ago.