Stretch and Breathe, Jump and Dive

So, school started. Last week. I moved in early to get a head-start on the honors program and and get a running start on the semester. I'm doing yoga twice a week, writing and re-writing to-do lists, herding dumplings (that's what I call the freshman, if you remember), and trying to remember my online course. Phew.

I'm also swing dancing, planning, drafting emails, researching, researching, researching (if anyone knows anything about grad schools-- help??) and trying not to spend all my dining dollars at panda express. My room is already a mess, I'm running out of socks and blasting music late at night. It's a pretty normal semester.

Trying to get really into Japanese while maintaining Chinese and somehow trying to catch some Greek in my language net.

I don't know how to flip pictures so... anyway, yeah, here's my dorm, when it was at least a little clean. Added a desk lamp, a lamp lamp, curtains, and lights over the curtains, another tapestry on the unpictured wall. I still have another tapestry to put up, and a floor lamp to put up. I'll take a panorama sometime...

The first honors night out was cosmic bowling-- so of course I had to wear cosmic pants to match. Freshman involvement this year is insane. We had 40 freshman attend, which is astronomical, considering last year we didn't have any come to our first event. 

This was the first and "official" honors orientation. It was pretty fun, but everyone got really hungry towards the end and it was a little awkward.

This past weekend I went to a renaissance fair with some friends and a dumpling. I took a selfie with the Queen, with my selfie stick! It was really, really funny and the event was overall really, really fun. 

Things are pretty much the same as they were when I last wrote, except I'm busier, and, unfortunately not sitting beside a pool.

I've been meeting with old professors trying to figure out this whole "grad school" thing. I met with one today and planning to meet with another, and another, and then my advisor, again, once I have more a plan. So far I have an ideal plan, but it's a little nerve-wracking to think about. Super nervous any time I think about it. Oh well. Here goes nothing, let's see what the readers think:

1. Finish this semester (F15) and next semester (S16) with flying colors.
2. Sometime before that, somehow get involved with SOME sort of research? Also, brainstorm honors senior thesis. IDK.
3. Next summer, go to the Czech Republic on the UoM's dime to study ESL (English as a Second Language) and get my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification.
4. At this point, all of my degree requirements will be done. Yes. Three years in. I know. Crazy.
5. Study abroad (again on the UoM's dime-- scholarships are really big for the Japanese program, I hear!) for two semesters using the scholarship money that I still get. Maybe for a whole academic year. In Japan! Wow. Scary, I know? But fun!!!
6. Graduate COLLEGE!

What happens next, uh, depends. I could go teach English in Japan for a few years or get a different job doing different things-- I could get a really good deal on some grad school and just DO IT. But it's scary. I'm ready to do it but it's so, so, so scary, you know?

Sometimes I just want to go live the island life on the Mediterranean. Blue waters, clear mind, white sand, coconut drink. You know? Yoga on the beach to the rising sun. Sounds like heaven.

I'll get there someday. Until then I'm going to bury myself in books and libraries and emails and trying to guide freshman while also guiding myself. I'm going to swing dance then kick of my heels to write papers. I'm going to go straight from yoga class to meetings. No one said involvement was easy  but I never really thought about how crazy my life would get. Time management is essential, and self-motivation is a really big driver. No one's going to make me go to grad school, you know?

Then again, no one made me go to D.C. either. Why stop there?

On a lighter note, I am planning to spend my birthday in Huntsville with Brianna, and visit ALABAMA as often as I can. I also got a mailbox. Please send me letters, I love collecting bits of paper.

Mackenzie Clark

3155 Campus Postal Station

Memphis, TN, 38152

I think that wraps up this blog post. Stay hungry for adventure, everyone!