Waxing Nostalgic; or, 22 Happy Thoughts

Blame the time of year if you want; 
fall is synonymous with academia in my mind. 


Or blame the weather if you choose; 
crisp days and clear, cold nights 
that necessitate baking 
and huddling near a fire are bound to result in daydreaming.


Or, if you like, blame the girl with too much time on her hands...umm, me.

Either way, I'll admit to recently devoting a good many hours to the occupation of reminiscing. (Such a lovely word, don't you think?) For in this crazy, mixed-up, unfriendly world that is the reality of post-graduate life, I am often tempted to belittle my college experience. And yet, after pouring over old e-mails and letter, photographs and cards, I remind myself that my time at Whitworth really did gift me with three of the happiest years of my life.


Cause really, where else could you find and experience these wonderful things, all in the one place?


-Traditiation (True, it wasn't what I would have picked for myself as a first semester freshmen, but I enjoyed it immensely each year thereafter...Perhaps that is the point?)


-French Dip day (Wednesday, Friday, whateverday. The only thing that matters is the artery-clogging goodness.)


-Life in Arend (RD Tim Caldwell saved my life, among other favors, but I was also blessed to live among some of the most amazing people I have ever known. Regan and Addie; my amazing roomie Michelle; Caroline, Tiffany and Merideth, three girls who could brighten the darkest of days; Devin, one of my all time favorite humans; "the guys" full of humor and unending kindness; Calli, kick-ass Montanan; and so many others.  Two good years filled with cookies, dance parties, movie-marathons, all-night cram sessions, all night chats, and plenty of laughs. Y'all rock.)  


-Core (for allowing me to enjoy and hate and love and learn, all without leaving the B-Rob teaching theatre...and introducing me to the brilliance of Leonard and Forrest.)


-Dr. Death (thus establishing the groundwork for building relationships based on mutual fear of and determination to survive life as an English Major. We did it Sam!!!)  


-The Writing Center (built in homework time, help when I panicked, money enough to keep me in cereal for a month, and some of the best times of my life. The stories shared and laughs had in that ridiculous little fishbowl will bring me pleasure for years to come. Oh, and I learned a lot too. I swear, I did actually work there some of the time...)


-Christmas (Nothing says "holidays at Whitworth" like punch and pot-stickers with B-Rob...Unless it's truffles, story-time and caroling at Leonard's.)


-Leonard Oakland (Fountain of knowledge. Master of Core lectures. Teller of seemingly-off-topic tales. Teacher of Russian Literature and Homeric Epic. Renaissance man and friend.)


-BISP (Three of the best months of my life, spend in the company of over a dozen of the coolest people I know. I saw the Globe, made friends with mice in the West End, went to Wales--does anyone know why?--fell down an ancient Roman wall atop Devin Rourke, ate many, many kebabs, followed a tall red-headed man around every country in the UK, fell in love with Oxford, experienced theatre through Les Mis, Fringe, and even a little of our own making, and made some memories to last a lifetime in my favorite city in the world.) 


-Pemberley (I had the pleasure of living in the company of five of the most amazing girls I've ever known, with whom I enjoyed the greatness of life in Plano, the terror of 24, the culture of Robin Hood and countless other BBC gems, 'hide and discover' with Edward, induction into the S.M.C., fabulous family dinners, themed house parties, and innumerable other Austen-esque adventures.)


-The chance to try new (good) things (whether it be guitar lessons, learning to truly enjoy a science class or discussing theology over a cup of coffee with a professor, I was able to test myself and experience academia in a way that challenged and enriched me as a person. Take that, state school greek system!)


- The Vagina Monologues (while on the subject of new things, I had the pleasure of reading in the VMs two years running, something I would never have been brave enough to do in High School, and an experience that educated and enlightened me immensely.)


-Ivanhoe, Round Two (by the time I did the VMs a second time I was living with another group of wonderful ladies who share their skills, personalities, and opinions with intelligence and grace, for which I love and respect each one of them. As a house we spent our time reading and studying, talking and venting, cooking and thrifting, laughing and loving and affirming. It was a nice way to spend Senior year, to say the least.)


-Jan Term (While I don't actually have the best memories of my first three Jan terms, during my senior year I basically went exploring around London with friends, some new and some old, for the length of a month. I had one of the best birthdays of my life. I hopped a train with friends to Paris. Aubrey and I discovered how Russians stay warm in winter. I stalked Marks & Spencer, partly for the food, and partly for the heat. I felt even more in love with London.)


-Road-tripping (Not only did the NULC trip to Utah give me the chance to hang out with some of my favorite English majors for a long weekend, but being in Ogden--of all places!--seemed like Mecca for a literature geek. And we met some really crazy, passionate nuts just like us. Nice to know you're not alone in this world...thanks, Lindsay Johnson.)


-Vic Bobb's Reading List (Thanks to which I have read more obscure and awesome books than I knew were in existence...and saved myself the trouble of reading "classics" for as long as I can help it.)

-Vic Bobb (Mentor. Teacher. Friend. Father. Writer. Poet. Artist. Provider of Bob Dylan CDs. Wearer of Beatles ties. Drinker of gallons of coffee out of the never-been-washed Corn Maze mug. Watcher of pointless yet awesome YouTube videos. Reader and recommender of GREAT books. Waster of time to rival college students. Teacher of Poe in the depths of winter. Dog lover. Pullman native. Supporter of hitch-hikers and road-trip-takers. Fiction writer. Dream chaser. Asylum giver. Moby-Dick lover. Wisdom dispenser. All around great man.) 

-Pleasant Blends (Hug-in-a-Mug. Need I say more?)

-Ground Crew (I had the honor of working for and making friends with the people who keep Whitworth looking nice for pictures and parents. I've never worked harder, loved a job more, or had more fun getting up before sunrise to spend time with a bunch of friendly, skilled, helpful folks.)  

-Running Bloomsday (...and the morning after breakfast, compliments of Biff's amazing mom! The race was a pain, but I'm glad I had the local experience and that I was able to cross the finish line hand-in-hand with beloved friends. I'll be content if I can finish another of life's races holding those same hands.)


-A Final Summer in Spokane (Once enveloped within the community of the Pine Cone Curtain it is hard to leave, and I had the indescribable pleasure of a slow departure from Whitworth over the course of this past summer, this time with a third and totally awesome bunch of gals in my Ivan-home. The BBQs, Fo-Yo, nights of berry picking, cooking adventures with Julie, dance parties, movie nights with Lauren--a la Joe Versus the Volcano!--and countless hours reading, talking, laughing and roasting treats on the porch were fantastic good fun.)


-People ( You know that annoying video on the home page that asks students and faculty what their favorite thing is about campus? Well, 90% of the answers to that question are the same, and all of them amount to roughly the following: "I love the people. I love the community. I love the relationships I have made here. When I leave I'm going to miss the people....etc." The culture of Whitworth, like any other place on this earth, is a manifestation of its inhabitance. The people make the place, just as a family makes a home. Thankfully, I had a pretty great one to begin with and it has been made all the more wonderful through the addition of you "people." 


Thanks for reading. And thanks for being you, dear reader.