It had to end at some point
Seeing as this is my last day off before departure, I suppose this is a good opportunity to do some sober reflection on my time here. And really, odds are against high levels of sobriety over the next few days.
I always looked at this summer as something of an experiment. I did the residence thing, which obviously prepared me for living on my own pretty well. But there was always the safety net of having home not being far away if I ever needed, plus the fact that pretty much all my friends were in town and I knew my way around. All of that was gone for my 4 months here. I was in a completely new place, with completely new people, and basically I don't think I really appreciated what it was I was getting myself into before I came out here. Not that I'm saying it was a bad decision, just that I never really thought about what being out here meant.
But what I found out is that, all it takes to put yourself into a situation like this is a bit of self-persuasion. Putting yourself "out of your comfort zone", in a physical sense, is easy when you get down to it. The hard part is getting "out of your comfort zone" mentally. It's clear that I succeeded at the former (durr) but it's questionable that I had any success with the latter. And it's strange to think about- because, really, why not? There was essentially 4 months of a clean slate. No one knew who I was, or what I was like. It's not like anyone would have seen any inconsistency in my behaviour if I acted completely different. But I'm pretty sure that, overall, I acted like me, despite the free license to be someone else.
I think that, when you are in a stange situation, it's a lot harder to hide who you are, at least at first. You're so busy trying to adjust to the new surroundings that you don't have the mental energy needed to run on anything but autopersonality. Or maybe that's just me.
Of course, the question arises as to whether this is really a bad thing. I made some good friends this summer, and there are several that I hope to keep in touch with when I go home. They really made it fun to be here. Would I have made such good friends if I wasn't acting like me? Probably not. I might have, say, had more (read:any) success with the ladies, but now that it's all over, I would take the friends over the girls any day. Such a cliche, but I suppose they become cliche for a reason.
Anyways, some other Important Life Lessons From Lake Louise (tm)
-Hiking in the mountains cures all ailments not caused by dehydration. And even those a bit.
-Don't underestimate your ability to drink, nor your ability to not drink.
-Sleep is a luxury in every sense of the word. Not needed, but great when you have it.
-Roommates can be pretty cool guys (a lesson needed after university res)
-Always have something to look forward to in the near future.
And that's it for now. I expect this may very well be my last post here. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again, and hopefully soon. Thanks for reading!
Trevor
I always looked at this summer as something of an experiment. I did the residence thing, which obviously prepared me for living on my own pretty well. But there was always the safety net of having home not being far away if I ever needed, plus the fact that pretty much all my friends were in town and I knew my way around. All of that was gone for my 4 months here. I was in a completely new place, with completely new people, and basically I don't think I really appreciated what it was I was getting myself into before I came out here. Not that I'm saying it was a bad decision, just that I never really thought about what being out here meant.
But what I found out is that, all it takes to put yourself into a situation like this is a bit of self-persuasion. Putting yourself "out of your comfort zone", in a physical sense, is easy when you get down to it. The hard part is getting "out of your comfort zone" mentally. It's clear that I succeeded at the former (durr) but it's questionable that I had any success with the latter. And it's strange to think about- because, really, why not? There was essentially 4 months of a clean slate. No one knew who I was, or what I was like. It's not like anyone would have seen any inconsistency in my behaviour if I acted completely different. But I'm pretty sure that, overall, I acted like me, despite the free license to be someone else.
I think that, when you are in a stange situation, it's a lot harder to hide who you are, at least at first. You're so busy trying to adjust to the new surroundings that you don't have the mental energy needed to run on anything but autopersonality. Or maybe that's just me.
Of course, the question arises as to whether this is really a bad thing. I made some good friends this summer, and there are several that I hope to keep in touch with when I go home. They really made it fun to be here. Would I have made such good friends if I wasn't acting like me? Probably not. I might have, say, had more (read:any) success with the ladies, but now that it's all over, I would take the friends over the girls any day. Such a cliche, but I suppose they become cliche for a reason.
Anyways, some other Important Life Lessons From Lake Louise (tm)
-Hiking in the mountains cures all ailments not caused by dehydration. And even those a bit.
-Don't underestimate your ability to drink, nor your ability to not drink.
-Sleep is a luxury in every sense of the word. Not needed, but great when you have it.
-Roommates can be pretty cool guys (a lesson needed after university res)
-Always have something to look forward to in the near future.
And that's it for now. I expect this may very well be my last post here. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again, and hopefully soon. Thanks for reading!
Trevor
posted by Sibtiger | 9:46 AM
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