Our Thoughts Were So Loud...

Today was...or rather, is, my last day truly living at home. From tomorrow onward I will be in constant transit until the day I find my own place. Last year I didn't really feel sad leaving. In fact, I was quite glad to be leaving. However, last year I knew that I'd return home this summer to the same place. This year is a different story. For those of you who don't know, I will not have another summer break in college. The University of Cincinnati College of Engineering has created a program featuring alternating quarters of co-op and study following the freshman year. Of course, my program will be interrupted in two or so years to allow me to study abroad, but that doesn't change the effect it will have. From now until I graduate I'm going to be in transit.

I've been thinking a lot lately and I'm not worried about losing my friends or family. I know that no matter where I go the people who care about me and that I care about will be able to contact me and vice versa. I'll also still have occasional holiday breaks to spend with people, so you can't forget about me...heck, I may even get a co-op in town and nothing will seem too different...it's just that I'm really going to have to take this big flying leap with the way I view my life.

While We're on the Subject Could We Change the Subject Now

Alright, here's the final list for those of you who have wondered about it even a little bit.

1. Going on a roadtrip to North Carolina with my friends.
2. Working hard on my engineering job.
3. Not stressing to much about life.
4. Go to Triumph LARP events as much as possible.
5. Learn more Japanese.
6. Read the last Harry Potter book.
7. Start a consistent work-out plan.
8. Go on a diet.
9. Hang out with people I haven't seen nearly enough.
10. Take a Saturday to walk somewhere really far away.
11. Write a decent poem again (have I ever done that)?
12. Go to an awesome concert.
13. Eat at the Cheese Cake Factory with Becca.
14. Visit Jessi up north again.
15. Get sweet new glasses.
16. Play some video games and maybe get a DS.
17. Read something by Pullman or Harris.
18. Spend time in Yellow Springs.
19. Hug someone.
20. Turn 20. Amazing, eh?
21. Enjoy the 4th of July like I did when I was a kid. (These days I just wish I was watching the fireworks with someone.
22. Train up to heavy on DDR.
23. (my lucky number) See a couple Reds games, even though they aren't doing so hot.
24. Surprise someone.
25. Buy a sweet DVD.
26. Find something.

14/26 Not bad, honestly.

My Oddly Specific Dream

In this particular dream I was a US Army Capt. serving with British troops in the Asian theater sometime in the late 1990's (I'm assuming an alternate universe and by this I mean the dream was not based on something that could have happened in the real world). I led my group on the battlefield against an international force, eventually running into a Thai brigade near a rock ledge. Using pincer tactics to corner them and separate them from the main enemy force I began to personally engage the enemy. After a short battle I determined that a large majority of the party were non-combatants of a diplomatic nature and refused to raise arms against them. However, a middle-aged Thai soldier challenged me to a duel to maintain honor after my choice not to slay non-combatants. I accepted the challenge so as not to lose face with my troops and to show respect to my enemy. After speaking with the British High Command I was granted permission to duel and I removed the majority of my gear to increase mobility. The Thai soldier informed me that he only had one proper dueling pistol and that I would be permitted to use my personal side-arm. At this point I tested my weapon and found it was jammed. I quickly remedied this, but took note that had I not had the opportunity, my life would have almost certainly been forfeit. Before the duel was to begin, I reflected on the fact that this was my second duel, the first being a victory against someone back home. I then told my Commander, who was supervising the duel, to be sure to give my sword to Chris Fisher if I should fall (weird, eh...I think in the dream it had been a gift from him) and all of my other possessions, excluding the non-sensitive documents I was transporting, would be passed to the victor. The Thai soldier agreed to this and we took position, back to back, and began the standard ten paces forward...I was confident I could win.

Then I woke up to the sound of my cellphone alarm. The dream was oddly specific and still fresh in my mind so I decided to write it down.