Keeping in Touch

Today I was chatting with a friend I met shortly before I left Joplin. She is now in Germany, spending a year studying abroad. It was a nice conversation...and it made me really miss all my friends back home and my time in college when I used to travel and study abroad. She pointed me to her blog where she has pictures of her travels. Then I followed her links to catch up on all my old friends. Wow. I am a horrible friend...I haven't really kept up with many people. I guess moving away will do that. I had to sign up for Xanga just so I could leave comments for them. I am vowing to do a much better job now.

Blogging is becoming a bigger part of the Honor's program at MSSU, and I really enjoy reading about the travels of all of my friends. The thing that makes me feel old is seeing them all grow up. The only people there now that I know were Freshmen, or incoming Freshmen when I was there. I did meet a couple of people because I was still in Joplin helping out on things when many of the new class started. However, in a couple of years I won't know anyone it seems like. The good news is that I think there are still some stories of me floating around. I left a little memorial in the Honor's Office, just so those people wouldn't forget me.

It's an interesting cross road that I am at. Longing for college, but at the same time being so glad to have that time behind me and knowing so much more now than I did then. I won't deny that I would love to go back to my Freshman year of college and change how I handled a few things...or at least go back to meet my old self and slap him around a bit. However, without those early failures, lessons and experiences I wouldn't be where I am now. There are many things I like about where I am now and what I'm doing. And then there is that nagging thought that things might have been different had I done somethings better or at least differently.

So here I am...at the same place I was when I started. I do miss my old friends...but at least the internet makes the distance seem less imposing. I also find myself not necessarily wanting to go back to college, but just to be around those friends again. That makes it imperative that I just continue working, building that resume so I can get my perfect job in the perfect place. So for now I say hello to all my friends and keep blogging so I can know what is happening in your lives.

mE