perspicacious?

First, I’d like to acknowledge that April has been skipped.

With birthday season and finals all clamoring for attention, I just didn’t manage to make space in the last month-and-a-half to blog-write. I have, however, written many other things and that is worth something, I think. But the truth is I’ve been craving this space for weeks, and I am so glad to finally be here. It is good for my soul.
Today I am curled up on my bed, crammed  long-ways between the wall and the open space of our small room. The roof-dwelling waterfall outside our window continues to berate the soggy earth long after the rain itself has subsided, making it difficult to ever really know what the weather is doing without just opening the door to see. Beth and I emerged feeling victorious from our 8AM Spanish final approximately an hour ago, and the after effects of exam-time sleep patterns are sinking down into my bones. It is a welcome heaviness because, for now, I can forfeit all pretense of alertness and just reacquaint myself with what it feels like to go slowly. The thought of one last final looms darkly at the edges of my brain, but I’m pretty sure that I can give myself an hour or two more of rainy reprieve. Inclement reverie assails me, and I welcome it.

Much has happened in the several weeks since I have been here last. Many escapades and adventures have taken their place among the ranks of memories that line the walls in my heart. As this first year of college comes to a close, I am nearly certain that I have had a more tremulous, beautiful, and extraordinary freshman year than anyone else I know. New people and new experiences have flanked me on all sides, accompanied sweetly by a fresh love for the old important things that have only gained significance over time. I expected to miss my family, but I don’t think I could have anticipated how deeply they would support me or in how many ways. I expected to find friends at school, but I never expected to love and be loved so thoroughly. I knew I’d struggle to find spiritual balance in a world completely new to me, but I find it hard to express how unique and difficult my conversations with God have been in these last 9 months. Where I am is good, but it is nothing I could have predicted.

(Time lapse.)

I am home now, finals are over, and the rain has ceased to pour. For the moment. I have heard that more is coming, and this is okay with me. What is not okay is that it has been nearly a week since I began writing this post, and I have yet to finish it. I know you have all been trembling on the edges of your seats, craving your monthly serving of perspicacious and wondering what on earth could be keeping me, but you shall wait no longer. Today’s the day, folks. Today’s the day.

(Side note: I just made a Kobe three-pointer with my gum into the trash can across the room. What a shot.)

I will begin with the conclusion to which I have come: the Catch 22 of blog-writing is that the longer I wait to write things down, the more there is to say, and the less I want to try and put everything all into words. Really, if I were to just do this once a week, we would all be faring very nicely. As it is, I am stuck with a pile of ponderings and a mountain of memories to untangle and somehow make presentable for reading purposes.

Now, then. Let us begin where we last ended: birthday season is officially over for the Morgan household. We have successfully traversed the immersion into and expulsion from the vacuum of celebration that extends from late March to the end of April. Presents have been given and parties have been had; all have felt loved and welcomed into their new year of living. It is my belief that I myself have experienced the overwhelming majority of all the aforementioned good things, a suspicion which I will now explain.

My birthday experience began the Wednesday before my big day with a pre-birthday fiesta involving all the Oglies, i.e., the friends at school whom I have grown to love most dearly. We went to a fabulous Mexican restaurant called Uncle Julio’s Casa Grande, with which even our very own ethnic Clair was quite impressed. After dinner, dessert was clearly in order, so, in what was possibly the most dynamic game of human Frogger ever seen, we scrambled across the street to Café Intermezzo, where we were greeted by a most impressive array of delectable dessert options. After cramming four or five tables together and perusing the incredibly copious menu options, I think we ended up with like two pieces of cheesecake and a hot chocolate. And while the minimalist nature of our consumption choices perhaps irritated our perpetually perturbed waitress, we had more than enough birthday sugar to go around. Overall, though, what really made the night so unprecedentedly wonderful for me were the unexpected happy things that happened around and during and inside of the main events. Here are some highlights:

The good, the bad, and the Oglies. Awesome surprise from Clever Clair.

1. Two months ago I told Clair and Beth that we should make shirts that say “The Good, the Bad, and the Oglies,” just for the simple fact that our school is really not on top of their game when it comes to clever apparel options. When I was lured by my conspiring roommate into accompanying her to the bathroom, I emerged to find a table full of friends suddenly wearing the best Ogle-shirt ever created, and one sitting on my chair. I couldn’t believe it. There are very few times in my life that I have been truly and completely surprised by anything; this was definitely one of those times. I think I screamed… I’m pretty sure I jumped.  It was a good moment, to say the least.

Ethan and Mickey. Knights in shining armor.

2. These boys, it should be said, have altogether helped to fill my Ogle-experience with laughter, silliness, and emotional support as needed. Their tendency to make my life just a little brighter and lighter only made my pre-birthday celebration just that much more wonderful. While Mickey kindly opened all my doors and stole away the check for my meal, Ethan surprised me with a most laughable and adorable gift: my very own knight in shining armor. To protect me from the swarm of creeps and weirdos who always seem to find me when I’m out at some coffee shop alone, Ethan went to the Build-A-Bear factory to procure a very lovable friend dressed in full knight ensemble. I also received an OU Baseball shirt that I had been wheedling away from Mickey’s grasp for days. All of this served only to remind me further that I have wonderful friends whom I love, and that I am happy to be alive.

Sporting the yellow cardigan during finals week, when I was kind of going insane.

3. Upon arrival back at 217, I was surprised by the presence of a very large box in the center of our room. Opening the box, I found a clue, following the clues, I found another box, opening the box, I found a present! My very considerate friend Erik had labored long hours to surprise me with something even I had forgotten that I wanted: a perfect lemon yellow cardigan in just my size. I had mentioned it only once, but that was enough. I couldn’t hardly believe my eyes… the culmination of blessings poured over my shoulders seemed just too lovely to understand. Also, the cardigan is really cute.

Birthday girl. Delighted.

So, in the interest of brevity, I’ll end my discussion of birthday festivities with this picture, and the statement that there was so much more goodness that it’s hard to even know where to stop. All of my loved ones made me feel loved, including the Fabulous Four back at home, who joined me for a birthday sleepover on the big day. That, too, was marvelous. I feel extraordinarily loved just remembering the events of that wonderful week- thank you to all of you who make that feeling a reality. You are too good to be true.

Now. What else needs to be said?

I have survived my freshman year with a most satisfactory GPA. Sophomore year comes bearing Statistics and Pre-calculus in hand, ready and waiting to destroy my dreams of a Summa Cum Laude graduation. Bring it on. I have sacrificed many hours of sleep and sanity to arrive at the place in which I now stand… what’s 3 more years of crazy gonna do?

Also, I went hiking and rock climbing yesterday with some friends of mine who are far more knowledgeable in such things than I am. My brother and I both managed to get up the first wall in good time- although I suspect that perhaps I had a little help from my belayer. Either way, the experience was both challenging and addicting. I want to do it again ASAP.

Photo by Matt Trivett. I think that's about the point that I wondered if I would make it to the top.

      All of this, and I still have not even touched on stories about going dancing, playing truth or dare, the Braves game… there are just so many things that have happened that are worthy of re-telling. Really, it is all too much to tell. I’ll have to be content with saying that although these past weeks have been a whirlwind, they have been extraordinary, and I am so looking forward to whatever summer chooses to bring with her. 

I will leave you for now with a quirky summary of my officially-ended freshman year at Oglethorpe University.

Three favorite memories:
1. All of the unprecedented good talks between my roommate and I inside the walls of 217. We’d stop in the middle of something else entirely and start to discuss some important issue at hand… we = peas, 217 = pod.
2. Pre-birthday celebrations.
 3. Tarp sliding. For the win.

Most difficult assignment: Medieval and Renaissance, first 2 papers. It was mental acrobatics for me to even know where to begin with tackling those prompts. Third time was the charm, I guess.

A lesson learned in the classroom: From Dr. Brightman: skepticism can make you a better writer. Question the necessity and clarity of your words… always.

A lesson learned outside of class: If you don’t do your work, it will not get done. On the other hand, if you don’t do your work, the world will not explode. My social life exists in the tension between those two truths.

Number of all-night study sessions: One all-the-way, but several that ended between the hours of 3 and 6AM.

Worst food eaten: Turkey “meatloaf” in Emerson. Or possibly the mysterious avocado colored pudding they had during the last week. It’s a toss-up.

Best food eaten: Either the plunder of our free cake-tasting excursion, or the tamales at Uncle Julio’s. Both were excellent, and both were free. :)

Most surprising discovery: The depth of love and friendship that can be developed in what seemed to be so short a time.

Nicknames earned: Cap’n Morgan, The Steamroller, Baby Momma

Something completely new that I tried: Watching “Dirty Dancing,” and actually going dancing. I loved both experiences.

Something I’m proud of: Joining the XC team and actually running races. I would have never imagined myself doing that like, 3 years ago. Things change, I suppose.

A mistake I made: Not keeping in touch with friends from home consistently enough. I still have them, though, and for that I am grateful.

Three words to describe the overall freshman experience: Tumultuous, surprising, delightful.
Thank you, all. Goodnight. <3 

P.S. Follow perspicacious? with BLOGLOVIN’.