One Week Down

So, I am officially one week into being a returning student at the University of Texas and it feels great. Being back on campus, experiencing the life of a college student through a different set of eyes, figuratively and literally(thank you LASIK surgery), than I had 11+ years ago is so awesome.

But what feels more awesome is the outpouring of love and support I have gotten from all of you. It really means the world to me, you have no idea. It is because of this support that I will continue to keep you updated on the goings on in my life on the 40 Acres.

So, as of a week in, I have one overwhelming thought; renting books sucks... a lot.

I decided to go the rental route as the cost-effective alternative to buying and saved myself over $200 which is awesome, until you factor in the fact that we are starting week two of class and my books aren't in yet. I am told that they should be around tomorrow sometime, but that would make the turnaround from rental date to reception of materials to be right at 10 days.

To put that in perspective, I ordered a handmade, monogrammed DodoCase for my iPad the same day and have already received it. Needless to say, I am not pleased with this development as it has put me behind on my reading in all of my classes and one of my professors teaches pretty much from text and elaborates on the points made in the book.

This too shall pass but it's annoying and I hate playing catch up.

Oh, well, back in the classroom tomorrow at 8am, and will be back with you all later this week.

Thanks again for all of the support.

First day

I am so mad at myself sometimes for ever taking this for granted. I have had so much fun and I've literally got this constant grin on my face. Some may call it 'shiteating', others may say I have the look of knowing something that others don't but I can't describe it. It feels so good to be back, or as Kanye would say, "it feels good to be home!"

So, I had the alarm set for 5:40am so I would be able to have a good breakfast and make sure that I had everything in order before leaving the house at 7 so I could beat traffic and make it to campus in time for my 8am Child, Adolescent, and Adult Health class. 

This class is located in Bellmont Hall, which is located at heaven for all Longhorn football fans, DKR Memorial Stadium. After parking at the Sigma Chi house, because it's free and they said I could, I walked across campus in the cold and drizzle and took the elevator up to the 9th floor and was greeted this way:

If I have that to look forward to every Tuesday and Thursday, then I'll be nice and fired up every time I enter this class.

The class is small and I couldn't be happier, maybe 50 students. My initial thought when walking in, though, was that there was a possibility that I am older than my professor, who oddly resembles Erin from The Office:

I did find out through context clues that she is, in fact older than me, but in my estimation there is still probably 2 years between us which saves my sanity some considering that she's a doctor.

This class seems like it will be a wonderful class in multiple areas.

1) With it being a small class, it will allow for more interaction with the professor and the other students in class. Considering that all of my friends from my first swim through here are old like me and, in most cases, really far from campus, the opportunity to make some new friends will be nice.

2) It also seems to be a class that's based in a lot of fundamental life areas regarding full health. 

D) It also seems to be a class in which discussion will be prevalent and most of you know I love a good discussion.

Class ended on time and luckily for me, my next class is on the 3rd floor of the same building so I wandered down the stairs and got a seat for Motor Learning.

This class seems like it will be tough, but in a great way. There will be lots of information but I really enjoyed the professor. He's very excitable and excited about this subject which will make it enjoyable for me. 11 years ago, though, that would not have been the case. I would have been pissed at his enthusiasm first thing in the morning.

The other fun part about this class is that it is located right above the Longhorn Hall of Honor so I strolled through that, as probably will every time I'm there. It's amazing. Here are a few shots from that land of awesome!

I head to my last class here in about 30 minutes and am excited for that as well.

Other things I've done today: 

Rented a locker for the semester at Gregory gym since I will have at least an hour and a half off between my second and third classes.

Set up my wifi access on campus. 

Found where the bathrooms are closest to my classrooms. It's one of the perils of drinking a lot of water.

Hope you all are enjoying your Tuesday as much as I am.

11 Years

What could you do in 11 years?

More importantly, what have you done in 11 years?

Have you gotten married; had kids; traveled to the far reaches of the globe?

Maybe you've lost a loved one, or part of your leg, or your hair.

11 years is a long time. A really long time. It's 4017 days(leap years accounted for). That's 4017 chances to better yourself, do something amazing, witness history or create some of your own. It's also 4017 chances to fall flat on your face, feel as badly as you could ever imagine, or stare the devil right in the face and feel like giving in.

Over my past 11 years, I have run the gamut of emotion. I have felt the rush of satisfaction in completing a goal I set for myself(running my marathon); I have felt the void of losing my best friend and brother and the thought that getting out of bed was an impossibility because the world just couldn't go on turning without him; I have seen his son grow into a wonderfully precious little man and his daughter excel and succeed on so many levels; I have woken up in jail, staring at rock bottom, searching for answers, and praying for a way out. Not necessarily a way out of jail, although that would have been nice, but a way out of the doldrums of the cavernous wasteland that I had allowed my life to become.

I was Jean Valjean.

(Okay, this isn't the song about his transformation from crook to nobleman, but it is my favorite of Valjean's in the show and this version is done by Colm Wilkinson, the original Valjean at the 10th Anniversary show, 18ish years ago. Side note for those who have seen the movie, Mr Wilkinson cameos as the priest early on and in the final scene)

This one is for you, Mom: 

And another for fun, actually regarding my usage of myself in the Jean Valjean role:

But, unlike 24601, I did not seize my opportunity to take control of my life completely. I did start, though.

According to www.convertunits.com it has been 2 years, 6 months and 9 days since I woke up in a jail cell and made the decision that has changed the course of my life and gotten me back on track. That decision, for those of you new to my writing, was to begin living my life alcohol-free and my life hasn't been the same since.

That decision to start living free of my favorite vice has led me to the precipice of the journey I will begin at 5:45 tomorrow morning when my alarm beckons me to rise and shine. For the first time in over 11 years, I will be attending classes as a student at The University of Texas at Austin. This time around, I am getting a degree in Kinesiology. Physical Culture and Sports to be exact. Unfamiliar with that degree plan? I was too. Here's the brief description: http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/wayfinder/explore/major/view/id/540.

I'm so excited and grateful for the opportunity laid before me. I took complete advantage, in a negative way of being a college student the first time around and I plan on changing that.

I am more committed and focused on what I want out of life now than I feel I ever have been in my life and this short year and a half journey to this degree is the last small step before the big leap. I know a few things I would love to do with this degree in tow, but am not sure how feasible they are, but that won't stop me from trying.

I hope you all enjoy reading the story of UT 2.0 for me. A lot has changed since my first go round. I mean, when I started college in 1997, the internet was a fad, not the way of life, the Rangers were coming off their first Postseason but weren't headed back, CDs were cool, and Steve Jobs was still imagining iPods.

Did you know you can rent textbooks now?! That thought alone almost melted my brain.

This journey should be fun and should include a ton of great tales so I ask that you continue to read along and I will promise to be diligent in keeping you updated. I also appreciate in advance the love and support you all have given and continue to give me in this endeavor.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little, okay, a lot nervous about what tomorrow has in store for me, but I know deep down that it is the right decision. Every fiber of my being tells me so.

Wish me luck!

The closest I could come to a song about first day jitters is Field Day Jitters by Tripping Daisy. ENJOY!