The house was quiet when I came downstairs. I made myself some coffee and oatmeal, settled down at one of the dining room tables, and proceeded to indulge in some Pinterest scrolling while listening to beautiful movie soundtracks. Needless to say, my heart feels really warm and happy right now, so I thought that this might be a good time to give an update on life to all of you out there :)
*I don't think that I have ever felt so happy in my entire life. I am so excited for each day and each day holds so much potential for excitement
* I can feel myself learning every day and it's honestly impossible for me to pick a favorite class (Shakespeare, Medieval Literature, Latin 2, Introduction to Celtic History / Culture )
* Taking Latin has most definitely been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Since we translate so much political rhetoric (Cicero, Caesar, etc.) I have seen a remarkable growth in my ability to approach literary analysis essays in English and also just my ability to express my thoughts, feelings, etc. Another consequence of this is that I have a greater appreciation for language and the meaning of words.
* I have absolutely loved living in AOII. Every morning when I walk downstairs to get breakfast and coffee before class, there is usually someone down there already. Oftentimes I'll just come and sit with them and we'll talk about our weeks or what we have on the docket for that day. This is the most encouraging, empowering, and passionate group of people that I have ever had the pleasure of calling myself a part of. They love me for exactly who I am and they compel me to follow my dreams and to reach as far as I possibly can everyday.
* I have still been able to see my best friends from the dorms last year quite often. In fact, I went and got dinner with one of them and his roommates last night and tonight I am going to sleep over at my old roommates' apartment. They bring so much light to my life and I thank God all the time that he put us on the same floor together :)
* I have been much more involved in Campus Crusades (Cru) this year than I was last year and it has been fabulous. It is so enriching to be surrounded by Christians who love God dearly, but also share my passion for academics.
* There have been many times this semester when I have had to talk about the Bible and God in a secular setting during my English discussions. The nature of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Milton, and others of that time period is that Christianity and Religion were very prevalent in their cultures / societies and therefore discussions of those topics are laced throughout their works. I have been able to talk about the story of the prodigal son in front of a group of twenty-something people and tell them about the love of the the Father in the story. I have been able to talk about how Faith is more than just following rules - in fact, it is infinitely bigger than that. Of course, I always have to be very careful when engaging with these topics because I am in a secular English class at Berkeley, but I make sure that everything I say is rooted in the text that we are discussing and has analytic significance. I would be lying though if I said that my heart didn't leap into my throat every time I prepare to speak up about God and Christianity in my classes.
* I firmly believe that the music that you listen to can have an enormous effect on your overall mood and productivity. As of late, I have been listening to many inspiring film scores, Show tunes, Disney songs, Jazz Standards, and overall just happy, heart-felt music. It makes me feel as if the world is so much bigger than myself and that any present worries or stresses I might be having don't have any gravity in the scope of all my present, past, or future joys.
* I am still relentlessly chasing after my goal to become a Roman Archaeologist one day - preferably somewhere in the British Isles. The other day I had a really encouraging moment pertaining to this goal. I was studying in one of the sitting rooms that we have in the house, in the backs of which there are old yearbooks and mementos from a hundred year's worth of past AOIIs. As I was flipping through one of the yearbooks from the 1960's and I found a wallet-sized black and white photo of a very handsome young man. The best part however, was when I flipped the picture over and found a note written on the back. It read -
"Dear Sue, Do you realize what French would be like without your cheerful, warm personality? Well I do. Paul is a pretty lucky guy to have a girl like you, even if he doesn't seem to show it. From one [unreadable] buddy to another, I shall really miss you after graduation. Love, John"
Hurriedly and excitedly, I ran out into the Great Room and showed the girls there what I had found. They thought that Paul must have been pretty close to perfect because John sounds like quite a catch! The picture is currently sitting on the top of my dresser and I look at it often as I'm getting ready before class. When John wrote that note, he never would have imagined that I would be reading it however many years later, yet here it is. . . on my dresser. That's exactly what I love about archaeology, except the time scale is exponentially larger. I love being able to connect with people on that sort of an emotional level thousands of years after they have died. Also, it really makes you think about the legacy that you're going to leave behind. Even though Sue was only the recipient of that sweet note, you can still glean from it that she was an exemplary young lady and John certainly thought the world of her. I wonder what people will think of me in fifty years if someone finds a note that was either written by me or for me. The moral of the story is that I can't wait to be an archaeologist and continue to explore what it means to be human and fully alive.
Well there you are. I know that this was a long post, but I also know that I have not posted in an incredibly long time! My days here at school are always filled to the brim with things to be read, papers to write, meetings to attend, and people to see, but they are always enjoyable and I enjoy being busy. It makes me feel as if I am always accomplishing something and always working towards my dreams and goals. But the bottom line is that people come first and if you ever want to chat and catch up more extensively, just let me know. I might have to delay it for a few days or a week, but I am always able to make time for the people who are important to me! With that, I must say farewell because there is much to do this weekend, but I wanted you all to know that I am doing very well and that God is forever good to me :) I love you all and I wish you luck with all of your present and future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Olivia