First Day Thoughts

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the love and support on my first day of school.  I've got the best people in my corner, seriously.  A few random thoughts:

1.  Classrooms are fun.  I love to learn, I always have.  I quit school 9 years ago so that my husband could go to grad school and start establishing a career (and so I could have more babies and have my family young:) ), but I never stopped my education.  I've done lots and lots of reading about all kinds of varied subjects over the last 10 years, and love striving to put pieces together into a comprehensive whole.  Most of the conversations I overheard between other non-traditional students today (have I mentioned that I don't talk to strangers?) revolved around learning how to learn again.  Thankfully, that's not an issue for me.  I have my parents and some very good teachers and professors to thank for that.  I forgot that college is so much easier than real life.  Books and labs and papers are nothing compared to the baptism-by-fire lessons we've been learning the last 7 or 8 years.  Especially since most of my classes revolve around science and math.  They still appeal to me for the same reasons they did a dozen years ago:  they are concrete, reasoned and sensible.  I like that something in life has fairly definitive answers.  If I can stay on top of the time management and logistics, it should be lots of fun.

2.  Standing in line at the bookstore for 40 minutes today surrounded by 18-20 year old males reminded me why I hated dating when I was young.  Bleh.

3.  When I was in school as an 18-year-old, I had neither a car nor a computer to call my own.  I really couldn't do school this time around without both of them, and I'm terribly grateful to have them.

4.  I am almost never alone in a car for more than 5 minutes at a time these days.  My reaction to having to drive anywhere is almost always, "Ugh, I hate driving."  I forgot what a pleasant thing it can be to drive alone.  Its only about a half an hour to and from school, but it was kind of awesome to be able to spend that time in total silence with my thoughts, or jamming to whichever music I choose, at whatever volume I prefer.  I think I might end up loving that commute instead of resenting it (though remind me I said that in February, when its dark and icy).

5.  There are many things I love about living in a time where technology is so advanced and so readily available.  One that is perhaps less "necessary" but one of my favorites is when my iPod is randomly jumping around on shuffle and one of my brothers' songs will come on, and suddenly there I am, driving down the road alone, singing along with my brothers.