Back into the swing of things

I want to start blogging more. Not sure why at the moment. If I had to guess it would be because when I looked at my prior posts, it brought back all of the things I was feeling when I wrote them and I knew exactly where I was for all of them. So in order to get back into writing, I guess I have to start with a life update. Bullet points will suffice:

-I'm now an Admissions Leadership Council Coordinator and I also work front desk at 121

-Austin has become one of my best friends at BU and I love him dearly

-I live at 43 Buswell St in South Campus

-I'm switching to COM next semester

-I will minor in Political Science

That's really about it. Right now, I'm procrastinating after one of the best weekends that I've ever had. Danielle, Ryan, and Lauren came from Maryland to visit Rachel. I love them so much, it felt like we had been friends for just as long as Rachel has been friends with them. We had an epic weekend of drinking, dancing, eating, laughing and frolicking. Plus, the weather was beautiful.

I'm supposed to interview the Principal of the MATCH Charter School tomorrow at 8am. I hope this goes well....my profile on him that is. The interview will go fine, it's the finished paper that I'm worried about. We'll see. I think I'm going to bed now. This day has been far too long. A demain

Reunions

Tonight our group of friends got together and had a fire at Katelyn's house. While seeing everyone is good and fun, we still weren't the same kids we were in high school. Of course I knew that before we all got together, but I wasn't expecting it to mean that we feel so distant from each other that we would sit around a fire and have nothing to talk about. It just felt uncomfortable. I love all of my friends but I don't know if this much distance will stand the test of time. Sadly, I foresee us losing touch. OH not to mention that this was the first time we all got together this summer =( How does that happen? Midway through August? Most blame it on the typical work excuse, but I know that we would make it work if we all really wanted to gather.

Different energy, strange vibes, man. *sigh* On that note, I'm excited to go back to BU! 14 days! I can't believe only 2 weeks stand in my way between me and the place I love so dearly. Sheer bliss in 14. Peace.

Life Updates

Boston was fun today. I got to see Ruth, Tricia, Alex, and Jordan which was pretty awesome. I've still been thinking about my special someone, of course. Can't wait to see them soon, hopefully this Friday =D

Being in the city again made me realize that I am very comfortable with city living. While I always knew it was for me, I was always a little bit overwhelmed, I guess you could say. Living in such a big place is intimidating and excited all the time. Now, it's just the regular routine, which is great. Leaving is always the most difficult part. I cannot believe I only have 24 days to go, well almost 23 now. I honestly cannot wait. AHHH so excited!

I don't know if I've posted this yet, but I'm officially going to go through the process of switching to COM. I will be a Public Relations major with a specialization in Political Science and I will also be minoring in Political Science. Here are the classes I'll be taking:

CO 201: Intro to Communication Writing

PH 100: Intro to Philosophy

PO 315: Judicial Process

PO 548: Politics of Education

This is a great schedule especially if I change my mind once again and stay in CAS. I will be half done with my major plus all of the classes count toward CAS requirements, if I stay.

I think I also decided that I am not going to study abroad, just so I can get more involved with things on campus. Maybe be an RA, hopefully a coordinator of one of the admissions programs, maybe a Dean's Host. I also really hope to get involved with ASB and some other volunteer programs because I feel like that's what I am missing in my life. In high school I was always doing volunteer programs. Also, I hope to get a job as a student advisor for orientation during the summer. I just want to get really involved on campus. That's about it for now. I might go to bed now...I have work in the AM...UGH

Dear Pepper,

I'm not sure if you knew how much you meant to me. I don't know if it too late to tell you, but I will anyways. When Mom, Grandma, and Auntie told me that I was going to get a dog for my 7th birthday, I was so excited. I remember searching and searching for the perfect dog and tons of animal shelters, but none were good enough for me. On a whim, we happened to go to Buddy Dog Animal Shelter. When I saw you, I fell in love. I fell even deeper when we took you for a walk. When Mom said that we were going to adopt you, I melted. I was the happiest kid in the entire world. I still remember to this day that on the way home you laid down and rested your head against my leg. Over the years we did so much together. We frolicked in the snow, played fetch, went on walks, explored the farm, played in the cow field. My favorite has to be just laying in the backyard in the sun during the summer time when I would lay my head on your stomach and talk to you about everything. About how Mom wouldn't let me do something, or speculating about what Grandma would make for supper. That was my favorite time. You were my best friend. I told you everything. Everything. I just stumbled upon a picture of us that made my eyes fill with tears. It's a picture of me blowing out the candles on your birthday cake. I really wanted you to have a birthday because you were one of the family. First we had your birthday in December because that's when your official birthday was, BUT I wanted your birthday to be the same day as mine because you joined the family because of my birthday. You were always a very active dog and I miss running and playing outside with you. Moving to an apartment where I couldn't have you broke my heart. I always made sure that we spent time together when I was at Grandma's house.

As we grew up together, you were always there for my most precious moments. It's just sad to see you go. I know that you'll always be with me no matter what. I don't think that I would have had such a great childhood without you. When I watched Marley and Me recently, I didn't think that I would have been this emotional. BUT when I am truly losing a family member, there is a piece of my heart that is missing. I love you so much and am thinking of you. I can't believe you are gone. I am going to miss you greeting me at the door when I come to Grandma's house or having you come visit and you trying to play with Rocky and Sadie. All of these tears will never express to the full extent how much I miss you. Goodbye Pepper. I hope that you will always stay with me. I love you dearly.

Love,

Your boy

The End is Upon Us

The end of the year is here. I am officially a sophomore at Boston University!! YAY! I’m really excited about completing all of my coursework, but this ending is bittersweet. While we are all rejoicing over the end of the academic year, we are lamenting over days to follow, where we will part ways for 4 months. 4 LONG months. To break it down even further: that’s 17 weeks, or 119 days until I see some of my best friends again.

I have mixed emotions about how this summer is going to turn out. While I am optimistic that everyone from home will be hanging out all the time, I know that it will be difficult to see everyone I want to see for a sufficient amount of time. We have all drifted apart a little bit. When you don’t see your friends from home for 4 months at a time it’s more difficult to relate to them. They’ve all had new experiences, and made new friends. There is no way that I could relate to going and drinking in the middle of a field like the kids at UMASS. While that is a little far-fetched, you get my point. Every time my group of friends has gotten together since we all left for college, everyone is still the same. It’s as if when we left for college, we were just taking a break. When we get back together, we still all get along. I hope this lasts for 4 years because I love my friends from home a lot.

Working is another reason why I cannot decide if this summer will be good or not. I really need the money, don’t get me wrong, but how long can I go working at WalMart. I mean, come on, I’ve been there since November 2006. I need a place where I really fit in. Some of the people there are great, but sometimes I wish I had more people my own age to talk to.

HOWEVER (and this is a big however), I’m really looking forward to get-togethers this summer with people from BU. I cannot wait to go to Maryland and visit Rachel; New York to visit Trisha, Tom, Brian, Ruth, Rob and everyone else that lives there, maybe I will even make my first trip to the west coast. THAT WOULD BE AMAZING! I really want to go to California. I think that would be an epic summer. To visit Funk and Austin would be the best. I just wish that I had met more people that live in Massachusetts or Rhode Island. I mean, it’s really cool that Tori lives in North Andover, and Dwyer lives in Andover, but I really wish that more people lived South of Boston. It would have been so cool to see people that I knew from school all the time.

It’s very rare that I can ever think of a song that accurately describes the events of my life at that very moment. Somehow the lyrics “I don’t know where my home is, I don’t know where my soul is” I can’t remember what song that is, however, it is irrelevant. Perfect. Lyrical genius. Whenever I return “home” I don’t get excited, but when the T makes it to street level on Commonwealth Ave, I just let out a sigh of relief. The sigh that signifies home. I impatiently wait through the Blanford Street stop, then the 2 stop lights. Then, BU East. I’m finally home.

Well, my train ride is over now, I’m back in Bellingham for the next couple of days.

Note to Self... Stop Procrastinating

Dear Self,

You need to stop fooling around and actually get to work. You are in a beautiful room at the Boston Public Library with so many productive people around you. Why can't you get your head straight and get down to work. For the past 15 minutes, 15! you have been yawning, rolling your eyes and playing with your hair. Please stop. Please get back to work, you know how much depends on these finals tomorrow. I know that you really want to see your grade for writing 150, but no matter how many times you refresh the page, Beth will not be done with grading for awhile.

So after you are done reading this note, I trust you will use your best judgement to get back to work and start reading about Energy and Environmental policy and Education policy.

Take care and study well,

Chris

FINALS

I remember just a couple of weeks ago that I was really excited for this time of year. Everyone would be happy because classes are over; people would be discussing their summer plans and getting really pumped up because of the weather. Now that those couple of weeks have gone by...I really dread this week.

It makes me really upset to know that I have developed close relationships with so many people yet I will apart from them for about 4 months. I know that I will still be in touch with them whether through facebook or ichat...but, it's not the same as going to dinner with them or hanging out with them on a Friday night. It's not going to be the same when I can't go across the hall and see people that I really care about, people that have become like my family. We just said goodbye to Angela, who is leaving tomorrow. Even though I wasn't really good friends with Angela, I'm still going to miss her. I hate using the corny family reference again, but it won't be the same without everyone.

I see it this way, once one person is gone, it's the beginning of the end. Even though one person is gone, we will all never have the same experiences because one of us is gone. It will just get more depressing as time goes on. Slowly, people will file off of 17c and out of Warren for the last time. I think for me it will be the hardest just because I will be here for an extra week. Sometimes I wish that I was leaving earlier because then I would just have to leave and say goodbye to everyone at once. Instead I will be forced to watch people leave, one by one, one heartbreaking moment after another.

I think it will be hardest saying goodbye to Rachel. I've gotten to know her so well over the past couple of months that she has become one of my best friends and almost like a sister to me. I can trust her with anything and I always enjoy anything she comes to me with. I truly hope she knows how much I value her friendship.

Apart from this sad post, I'm starting to have anxiety about getting a good grade in IR. So many things to study, such little time. UGH! It's okay...I will have completed my freshman year of college by Friday and am looking forward to the next three years of fun and memories. Maybe that is how I should look at 'saying goodbye' and take it as see you soon so we can have tons of fun in a few months....just something to think about that's not International Relations aka Bane of my existence.

School Needs to Hurry Up and Be Over

I am so sick of doing work. I cannot motivate myself to do anything. While I know that it is the home stretch, I'm having trouble coming to terms with the fact I have so much to do in the next 4 days alone. I feel like I'm breaking down and I need to finish strongly. I just need that kick in order to get me going. I know that if I do really well on my web project and this portfolio, I will be all set for good grades. Alright, well, here it is. From this point on...no procrastination. Just work, work, work. Wish me luck

WOW! It's been quite awhile

It's been almost a month since my last blog post. I need to start writing on this more.

Today's weather was amazing. I got to wear shorts and a polo for the first time since last summer. It felt wonderful. I even got to go play tennis with Tricia. Sometimes I wish I could do that all day--play tennis that is. I wish I was good enough to quit my job at Walmart and work as a tennis instructor at a camp.

This last week has been really strange. My last day at the State House was on Wednesday. I decided that it was time to leave because Deb came back from maternity leave and I didn't really have anything to do. I couldn't answer calls, sort mail, get faxes, and other things because she came back. I wasn't even in the regular office. I was in Jon's corner office away from all of the excitement because Jess came in before me everyday. In honor of my last day, we had pizza in the Senator's office, which was really cool. Who gets to sit around with a Senator who's met the President, the Vice President, Cabinet members, the Speaker of the House, who is the NCSL Vice President and with his staff members? Not everybody. I hope one day I will be back at the State House in an office working on policy or something else. Then I got yet another sinus infection...ugh! It is awful. I stayed in almost all weekend with the exception of today. I need it to go away.

Other than that, things have been pretty normal. I am doing Ambassing on Monday and lunch hosting on Thursday. I have tours on Friday and Saturday, then home for Easter weekend. Then back here for another tour on Monday morning. Oooff, 3 tours in 4 days, that will be rough.

OH! I also picked my housing for next year. I am living at 43 Buswell Street in a South Campus Brownstone. I'm really grateful for my pick especially because I went on the last day for room selection. I cannot wait until next year. I will have some good classes, friends will be scattered throughout campus, my life will hopefully be in better order.

Speaking of getting my life back in order, I need some organization and serious time management skills....quick. The end of the semester is coming up and I need to get all of my things in order so I can do really well on my finals.

But, as the procrastinator I am, that can wait until tomorrow. It is bedtime. Goodnight

Workin' For The Weekend

Whoever coined that term knew me so well. Right now I'm just waiting until approximately 4 pm on Friday so I can be free for two days of relaxation and enjoyment before I have a case of the Mondays...and Tuesdays...and Wednesdays, you catch my drift.

I just finished my IR exam, which I didn't think was too difficult. We'll see when I get it back if I still feel that way about it. This time around was a lot better just because I know I took my time and allowed myself to think instead of stress out over something stupid. It also makes me feel a little bit better knowing that a lot of the people coming out of the test were upset about how they did. I hope this means a curve, in which case, I hope I am above the curve.

President's Host and Admissions Ambassador training is over now! I got my P-host jacket and my Ambass polo yesterday along with some 'diplomas' for completing the training. It's bittersweet because I met some really cool people that I might not see again, but the training was just a little too long. It was necessary, but long. Yeah, I think I'm just lazy

Back to Reality

Instead of doing my mountains of homework that I chose not to do over Spring Break, I am in the "awkward room" by the elevators in C tower reading the SparkNotes version of The Jungle. I need to do a freewrite that I thought I could just do for when the portfolio is due...but no. If I sound urgent, I'm a little frazzled right now. Right now I have so much going on. I want to go have fun but at the same time I know that this is the final push for the end. I cannot believe that there is only about 2 months until I go back home. However, there is only like a month left of classes because most of the time I will be here is the study period, exams, and graduation.

I really cannot wait to find out about the Summer Staff at Admissions. Someone needs to email me immediately about if I am off the alternates list.

Since moving back in, a lot has happened. I went to the Hockey East Quarterfinal Game where BU crushed Maine 6-2. I went to the State House today, went to the gym, and went to a little party in Mike and David's room. OH and really exciting, I got my housing lottery number today, 14354 which is pretty good considering Mark got around 200 slots from the last number.

Before I go to bed I need to do:

-Freewrite on The Jungle

-Read Chapters 8 and 9 for IR

I don't know when I'll be getting to bed tonight, but I know it won't be soon.

Spring Break is almost over?!?!

Today marks the last weekday of Spring Break and I have mixed emotions about that.

While I loved waking up late and doing pretty much whatever, I think that my return to Boston is long past-due. Bellingham is a...errr, nice place to raise a family (something like that), but it is definitely not suited to my needs. I need some excitement and Boston provides that for me. Whenever I see kids on the T, I am always reminded of my journeys to Boston as a child. I remember loving to come into the city for anything and absolutely anything. Even if I knew it was just for a short time, I would count down the days until we could go to Boston. I don't know why it continues to captivate me to this day. Perhaps it's just the sense of wonder a city exudes. I hope to stay there long after graduation.

So yes, Bellingham, I'm sorry that I must go, but it's time. I must return to the city I love at promptly 12:40 in the afternoon on Sunday, not a minute later. Don't worry though, I'll be back sometime to visit.

On the other hand I have accomplished nothing in terms of school work. I just cracked open my International Relations book today and it's still on the same page...two and a half hours after I opened it. Yeah, needless to say I didn't follow my plan at all for getting things done this week. HA! If anyone thinks I'm doing all of it this weekend, they are insane. I'm more concerned about the morons who comment on Gov. Deval Patrick's facebook page and think that it means that they are really voicing their opinions. So I gave them a piece of my mind. Ehh, I just wanted to be confrontational. Call it what you may, but I had fun doing it.

Therefore I Am is featured in the March issue of AP Magazine!!!! I am so proud of everything they are doing. I really hope they make it. It's insane watching them go from playing a show where there is about 20 people at the Framingham Civic League to the big times *knocks on wood*. While I cannot say I have been with them from the beginning, I am still very excited for them.

So the plans for the rest of the weekend are:

See JDagg and Derek

Katelyn and Laura's Birthday Party

Go back to Boston

...now on to all that work I should have been doing all week

Spring Break--Tuesday

So, once again I am avoiding the 6 or so chapters of IR that I should be reading. However, I still have a couple of days left of vacation which means plenty of time to get everything done (...yeah right). I mean, I guess I've been a busy person. After missing about 3 months of the Office, I'm now caught up! I went for a run today too...I haven't just been sitting around on my computer all day. Arghh, I should probably start that work. Here is my to do list:

PUBLIC POLICY

1. Read Chapters 6 and 7
2. Read all required documents

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Read Chapters 7-12
2. Learn the IPE chart
3. Learn European countries
4. Keep up with the news

WEB PROGRAMMING

1. Homework 7
2. Lab 6

NATURAL LAW, SOCIAL PROTEST, AND AMERICAN IDENTITY

1. E-Portfolio assignments
2. Mid-semester self-evaluation

I mean I guess that isn't too much to do. I really don't have anything on my plate for the next two days. If I take it easy, I'm sure I will get a lot done.

Other than that, I picked my classes for next year. I will be taking (if everything works out):

CL213 Greek and Roman Mythology

ES144 Oceanography

PO317 Presidential Leadership

PO318 US Political Parties

The times for the classes are also really awesome and spread out so I'm not killing myself like I am this semester. Plus, it will be more convenient for P-hosting and Ambassing. I also hope to get an SAR job during the school year so I have a little bit of an income. I still haven't figured out what I want to do with COM or SED but maybe that will be something I can do during my next couple of days on Spring Break. I also have some other goals for the week:

1. Lunch/something with Jess Dagg
2. See Nick Egan and Lauren Jensen
3. Katelyn/Laura's Birthday party
4. See Trevor
5. Go visit people at Walmart and talk to Brian

...that's about it.

I learned that in Bellingham a medium coffee from Dunkin Donuts is about $.20 cheaper than in Boston! How amazing! Well, I think I might start on that school work!!

It's Official...

I decided to start blogging. I thought that blogging might be a good way to keep memories somewhere, or just another instrument of procrastination. After tossing around the possibility of creating one for awhile, here I am at about 3am writing my first post. 

So, blogger.com, let me tell you a little bit more about myself. My name is Christopher Wilcox, I am a freshman at Boston University majoring in Political Science and I am originally from Bellingham, Massachusetts. I am a proud President's Host and Admissions Ambassador for BU, in addition to one of the most spirited BU athletics fan. Boston University is my home. I cannot imagine being anywhere else.

On that note, I can't imagine leaving BU. Being in college has been the best experience that I have ever had. I have met the most amazing people in the last semester and a half, have heard more inspiring stories, amassed a great deal of knowledge from some of the brightest professors, yet the year is coming to an end. I feel like college should be longer. I guess the university wants to give other students the opportunity to obtain the instruction that I had, and the same extracurricular activities, but I don't want to share. I want to take everything BU has selfishly. 

Today, as I was sitting in my van in the parking lot of a bowling alley, I had an epiphany. In 4 years I will never have the opportunity to do this again. When I graduate, move to Washington DC and get hired for my wonderful expertise in governmental affairs while making tons of money *notice the sarcasm* I will never be at this place in my life again. Even if my fantasy doesn't come true, I was in a position that I will only get to experience once in my life. I am a college student, who has little responsibility, especially while on Spring Break (perhaps the reason why I am blogging at this time). The most important thing to me is my friends, don't get me wrong, I am invested in school and other things but my friends are like my family. In four years I will be stressing about having to pay back student loans or getting an apartment, or some other truly grown-up thing. I realize that I need to live in the moment, because if I don't I will surely miss a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

A couple of days before Spring Break, at the President's Host meeting, Dean Elmore gave us some tips for our careers at BU. He said, "Don't worry about your GPAs, they are nothing more than numbers. What you need to concentrate on, are you lives and your experiences while in college." 

He is absolutely right.

I need to open my eyes to new things, meet new people, develop into a dynamic person, and really explore myself to become the person I truly want to be. Hopefully this blog will be a place where I keep track of my times with new people, new interests, and the development of Chris Wilcox into a dynamic individual. 

However, I think the beginning of this journey can wait until tomorrow...it's after 3 and I'm exhausted. Goodnight.