Liberation

And I am free.

I finished my final essay for Fate and Virtue last night, and it felt SO GOOD to have it done. I think at 1800 words it was the longest essay I've ever written, and also one of my best. We were examining some aspect of our life from an Aristotelian perspective, and though it was challenging, writing about your own life always makes things flow a little smoother.

I am now experiencing the usual post-block shock, and have been wandering aimlessly and surfing the Internet for almost half a day. I need to get myself together. I need to make a list.

TO DO OVER BLOCK BREAK:

1. Damage control in my closest. It would appear that it has been the sight of the most recent nuclear bomb explosion
2. Cookies. Make them. Lots of them.
3. Double check to make sure I have a summer job, and secure it.
4. Do a pull up.
5. Learn how to make cheese
6. Tye dye an outfit
7. Have at least one adventure that involves buses
8. Write a letter to my father
9. Spend no money... oh wait, that should be easy. I have no money to spend.
10. make sure everyday is a FUN DAY

I love...

I think Valentines day is a beautiful holiday, no matter your romantic standing. Because when you take away the chocolates and plastic hearts, its all just about love. What better reason for a holiday in the middle of winter? Everyone loves someone, and in my opinion if we really think about it we probably love a lot more people then we think. For instance, I love my family, and I love my friends, but I also love the barista that makes my coffee. And I love the postman. And I love the woman who makes the delicious white chocolate chip cookies for the cafeteria. I love the hitch-hikers I see trying to get up to Whistler. I still love my pre-school teacher, and my high school lit teacher. I love a lot of things.

I bought 30 carnations on Saturday, and gave them to strangers downtown. I definitely got some weird looks, but it made me feel good, and I even got a hug from one sad lady. I think I'll celebrate Valentines Day every month from now on.

Tuesday

Tuesdays are usually my least favorite day of the week. Perhaps today will be an exception.

Things I can do to save my Tuesday:

1. Eat cookies for breakfast
2. Lift weights at the gym so that I will be closer to one of my life dreams of being able to do a pull up.
3. Discuss Plato's 5 dialogues over lunch, so I know for sure what I'm talking about in class. I hate feeling like halfway through my point, I'm really making no sense.
4. I will drink an excess of coffee today. There is nothing wrong with that.
5. Bake a cake for no-one's birthday, and frost it with many colors and many sprinkles. This will be a cake purely to celebrate Tuesday.
6. Take a long walk up the mountain.
7. Watch some Gossip Girl (don't judge) on my laptop.
8. Go to bed early

If I accomplish all these things, it will be a good day. Wish me luck.

Sourdough Pancakes

There is no better way to start a sunshiney day than with a big batch of sourdough pancakes....topped with maple syrup bananas and whipped cream.

Snowshoeing and Conquering the Iliad

You would think having grown up in the prime snowshoeing territory of Alaska, I would be a natural. Sadly this is not the case, and after flopping 12 K up a mountain this past weekend, I am very aware of my lack of innate skill. However, I am also very proud, and now that I know what I am capable of, I plan to conquer more mountains in my awkward boat-like shoe contraptions.

The mountains around the Quest campus are gorgeous to look at, but also very accessible. People come from all over the world to ski and adventure in our backyard. Sometimes when I hear the brochures bragging about how "At Quest you can go to class in the morning and ski powder in the afternoon!" it seems like just a catchy line to snag all the intellectual ski bums, but its cool to know its the truth. You see kids jumping into cars all the time after class, zipping off up the logging roads to shred the afternoon away. Cool.

On another note, my next class has begun, and I am now spending 3 hours a day delving into the land of the ancient Greeks to discover the true meaning of fate and virtue. Have you ever really thought about what virtue is? It's harder to define than you would think. Apparently, in reading all 670 pages of the Iliad I shall be enlightened. We will see.