As you may recall, I spent the fall semester in Rome, Italy.  Before we left for Rome there was training on dealing with cultrual shock and reverse cultrual shock, which we were expected to have. Going to Rome and making the neccessary adjustments was very easy and I really do not feel as if I experienced “Culture Shock.” However, returning home was a completely different experience. I still have not completely adjusted to being back in America and on top of that I have to readjust to being a “traditional” student again.

I honestly can say that I am no longer a fan of being the “traditional” student but I’m making the neccessary adjustments. Training myself to get used to being in class after class again. At times its challenging but I’m learning that if one can adjust to the situations thing would be easier for them. I’ve learned to embrace every challenge in my life by creating strategies to deal with them and simply adjusting to the change.

I encourage you today to cease your frustations and simply adjust to the situation. Adjustment is not giving up on your goals and desires. I believe adjusment is taking a step back and seeing other strategies to achieve your desired outcomes. Upon realizing those other strategies one must apply them to see the results that are desired. So simply make the neccessary adjustments and carry on with life!

For Welcome Back Week, the University Programming Board had several events to help students adjust back to being at school from a break. We had Comedian Pete Lee come in on Tuesday and he was a huge hit. He was one of the best comedians we have brought to Walsh in my opinion. Why?  Well the next day my abs hurt from laughing so much during the show. He had a lot of us in tears laughing at his jokes. Then on Wednesday was Price is Right. It is just like the show! Students put there names into a drawing before the show starts and then names are picked to come up on stage and be a part of the show. The prizes are awesome too! They range from pencils and notebooks all the way to tickets to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame and an iPod Touch (the grand prize for this year). Sophomore Kyle Barkhurst played the role of Bob Barker for the second year and the crowd loved him! Finally, ice skating at Center Ice Sports Complex was on Thursday night. A tradition at Walsh University at the beginning of the Spring Semester, around 300 students came out to skate and enjoy some time off campus. I hadn’t skated in about two years, but I enjoyed skating around the rink! It was a great opening week!

Yesterday we had our first big snowfall here at Walsh. A good 5-6 inches of white fluffy stuff fell from the sky Thursday into Friday. Campus has a nice white blanket now, though the wind seems determined to uncover everything or just chill students to the bone. Winter has truly arrived, and although I really do not like the cold (hence me heading off to North Carolina once  I graduate), it means that winter can soon be over and warm weather can return. I was getting worried with all the nice weather that winter was truly going to hit eventually and I was going to be graduating in snow! Maybe thats a little bit of an exaggeration, but still… this nice weather with days hitting even the high 50s had me worried!

So here’s to an amazing semester to come with lots of time with friends and doing my best in classes! Everything is wrapping up. I should be finishing my Senior Honors Thesis in the next few weeks, and even my classes are symbols of my time here coming to an end. I recently read a quote, “Life is short, so let’s go live it.” With it in mind, I hope everyone enjoys every second of this semester, whatever year you are, and make the most of it! Its 2012, you never know if it might be the last semester we have! Doubtful, but have a good time just in case!

Have a good long weekend!!! Here are some pics from this past week:

Out for First Fridays

Marie and I at Ice Skating

Out to dinner with friends

Since I have been at Walsh, I have made the hour and five minute trip to and from my house many times.  If challenged, I think I could safely make it back blindfolded.  After thorough research and intense observations, I discovered that when it comes to making the trip back to Walsh, I am like clockwork.  I realize that I go through a series of stages throughout this 65 minute car ride that are shockingly consistent.

It all starts as I pull out of my driveway and give a little toot from my horn.  I instantly reach for my radio (no iPod connector or CDs) and have a refreshed feeling come over me.  For the first 15 minutes or so I reflect on the weekend, have a sense of freedom, and am riding without a care in the world.  When this high wears off, I get stagnant for about ten minutes, where I basically drive like a zombie with my finger on the seek button, not even hearing the songs being played.  After this mental break, I start getting real deep with my thoughts.  This is the point of the car ride when any song could trigger my emotions and I will break out into tears for the next 20 minutes, give or take, depending on the reason why I am crying.  The reason usually changes every car ride.  For example, one time when I was driving back, I found out that my brother got engaged earlier that day and I was so happy for him and his fiancé that tears of joy were flowing with no control.  I’m pretty sure Amazed by Lonestar came on the radio, which put me right over the edge.

Once I regroup and dry the tears that have cascaded down my face, I channel my inner musical talents and get into the music video stage for the next 15 minutes.  I start performing anything from Nelly to The Temptations, incorporating dance moves in when necessary.  Just this past car ride, I performed Adele, Someone Like You, so hard that I almost convinced myself that I had an ex-lover who I was hoping to win back, only to find out that he is married and has no place for me in his life.  It took me a minute to come back to reality because I was so involved in this music video moment.

With only about five minutes left in the trip, I casually listen to the radio and start getting that excited feeling about being back at Walsh.  No one ever knows what a new semester will bring, which makes the possibilities endless.  As I pull into my driveway, I end my trip with a call back home letting my mom know I am safe and sound.  So with that begin said, let the final semester begin!

At every stage in life there are those classic questions that people get asked non-stop for a certain period of time.  For example, if someone is getting married next fall, the bride and groom to be will instantly be asked questions about the wedding for a good 18-20 months.  Even a thirteen year old who is preparing for high school will hear the question, “Are you ready for high school?” at least 250 times the summer before his high school debut.  Now I’m not saying this is a bad thing.  It is actually very considerate and nice to know that people care.  What I am focusing on right now is being able to withstand the same question for four years straight.

For the first year, when you come back home for holidays and special occasions, you will be excited to tell about your college plans and where you see yourself in the future.  You won’t even think twice when people ask you, “Where do you go to school?” and “What are you studying?”  It’s actually kind of nice to have that independent feeling of creating your own path in life.  At this point, it is important to establish your comfort level of telling people your career plans and creating a base for the next three years because the questions will expand. 

As your college years continue, you will notice that it is no longer socially acceptable to ask or even be asked, “What grade are you in?”  That is so high school.  The question now is, “What year are you?”  That, my friends, is something they do not tell you at freshman orientation.  Consider yourself prepared.  You will begin to notice that at family gatherings and hometown social events, people will lose track of your college status.  This is when you will add another built in answer to your repertoire, which will be to the question, “What year are you now?”  Expect to get a gasp, shocked look, or even a common eye roll suggesting that you are “just getting so old.”  If I had a dollar for every time I heard that one…

Now the trick to surviving these questions for four years is all mental.  Once you establish your conversation comfort, which will take about a year, give or take, you will be prepared to answer any questions that come your way.  This involves adding little random tidbits about your college status that not only keep you sane from answering the same question 1,000 times, but will also enhance the conversation.  For example, once I answer the school and major question, people will expand the question by asking me if I like Walsh.  This is where preparation and experience come into play.  I have the benefits of Walsh divided up into categories in my head and I will choose the one that best fits the conversation at that time.  For instance, if I am talking to my grandma, I will mention volleyball and the friends I’ve made and include that we have mandatory study tables in the library.  Her classic line is, “Study and behave,” so she is always happy to know that I am getting my library hours in.

This is just one of the many examples of how to become a conversation wizard.  It’s not easy, but someone has to do it.  With a little practice and creativity, there will be no question that you can’t confidently answer while keeping your sanity alive.  Good luck and God speed.

This Christmas, like all the others, was overflowing with family, laughter, and food.  However, I slowly began to realize that our normal Christmas traditions were starting to change a little.  Before I even came home for break, I was hit with a truth bomb.  This would be my last Christmas as a Walsher.  I would never again pack up the Oldsmobile with half of the stuff in my room I really didn’t need and make the hour drive to a cozy, Christmas decorated house.  This kind of just set the tone for a different kind of Christmas.

As Christmas Eve approached and everyone was getting ready for church, my older brother was on his way out the door, about to go to church with his girlfriend’s family.  Although I supported his decision, when only six of us loaded the van and only six of us sat in the pew, I felt the missing piece to our traditional Christmas Eve mass.  He was there in spirit, though.  After church, we headed over to my aunt’s house and with all the little changes going on, one thing I could count on not changing (besides 24 hours of A Christmas Story on TBS) is the Italian tradition of seven fishes on Christmas Eve.  Wow!  For some reason, the lobster and smelts never tasted so good.

Now this brings us to Christmas morning.  I am a firm believer that a person is at their truest form on Christmas morning.  It’s early, you’re around family, and no one is concerned with looks at this point.  This could be one of my favorite moments of the Christmas season.   This year we went about our normal routine of opening gifts from Santa and just when we thought it was all over, we got hit with another truth bomb.  My oldest brother will be getting married in the summer and as we sat there opening the final gift, we all realized this was our last Christmas morning all together and things got real.  Needless to say, it was a moment I will never forget.

Even though Christmas is over, the fun still continues.  The week in between Christmas and New Year’s is one of the greatest weeks of the year.  You’re coming off a Christmas high and still have another holiday to look forward to.  It’s a win, win!  I hate to use another cliché, but holy cow, does time fly!  No matter what your plans are for the New Year, embrace it.  I’m sure I will come up with a New Year’s blog and will get real deep with it, but until then, enjoy your week and Happy New Year!

Since I am coaching basketball in Canton, I have to stay up at Walsh for most of the break because of games and practices.  I am free on the weekends, so that is when I go home and get my fill of the family.  This past weekend, when I was sitting at the dinner table, I was perfectly content.  Between the awesome food and random conversations, it all made sense.  I realized that if I had one more week to live, this is all I would want to do.  It’s almost like all that other stuff would just get in the way of my family time.

Maybe it’s the holiday season or being away from home that has me in this family mode, but regardless of the reason, I kind of like it.  This is one example of how college is a growing and learning experience.  The answer to this common question went from climbing the highest mountain to sitting around the dinner table.  It’s crazy to think that I might actually be becoming an adult.  Thank you, College.  You’re doing your job.

                It’s a Wednesday morning and you have a 9:10am midterm.  You have abused the snooze button, so now you are already running late.  Frantically, you pour yourself a bowl of cereal, accidentally spilling milk all over the ground.  Because of your current state of mind, you barely pay any attention to the milk soiling in your carpet, and you instantly move on to your next duty.  While you are brushing your teeth (not using the proper circle technique because of the time rush), you suddenly are attacked by the sneeze monster.  Within seconds, your mirror is covered with speckles of white foam.  As you try to wipe away the mess, your plan backfires and now instead of speckles, you are left with streaks of white foam covering your mirror.  With time moving faster than ever, you whip open your dresser drawer flinging clothes over your shoulder like it’s a salt shaker you accidently knocked over.  Through this tornado of clothes, you forgot that your knitting kit was in that drawer and a ball of yarn has been popped out of its spot and is now unwinding throughout your dorm.  Again, there is no time to pay attention to it because you have a deadline to make. 

                So you go about your day and after one thing leads to another, you don’t get back to your room until 10:00pm.  After a full day, you want nothing more than to hop in the shower and go to bed.  As you open your door, the sweet aroma of rotten milk fills the room and you are left with the remains of a dorm room tornado.  With your motivation below sea level, you simply get a wet paper towel and “soak up” the milk and wipe down the mirror.  At this point, you have had enough and throw out the classic line, “I’ll worry about this tomorrow.”  We all know where that leads. 

                The point I’m getting at is that college hits you with a nice helping of responsibility.  To fix your dorm room mess, you would physically have to go out, spend your own money, and buy carpet cleaner and Windex.  I know this example is very simple and basic, but it’s the idea of this process that I’m focusing on.  Just last night, I cleaned the light fixture in my kitchen and changed the light bulbs for the first time in 18 months.  Sad, I know.  It’s just that as a college student, changing light bulbs doesn’t seem to make the top of my priority list.  That’s when I go back to the lesson of a lifetime which is, “If you don’t do it, it will not get done.” 

                College is just the starting point for the main event.  With all the education, food, and fun college supplies you with, it also gives you a little taste of what most like to call “the real world.”  With anything in life, we are not sure what to expect.  With the random life lessons of college, though, we are equipped with the right tools and guidelines to lead us where we need to go.

                It was the spring semester of my sophomore year when I traveled to Italy and lived there for two months.  I could easily go on and on about the experience, but I have a better idea.  While I was in Italy, our weekly assignments for school consisted of blogging about a certain topic and incorporating our experience and daily readings into them.  Our last blog, though, was a little different.  It was a reflection on the past two months and a response to our first blog that predicted how we thought we were going to change.  So instead of retelling you about my Rome experience, I figured I’d let you read my actual blog written on April 17, 2010, three days before flying home to the United States.  For your sake, I have condensed this blog, highlighting the main points.  Enjoy!

          As I sit here, staring out into the countryside of Italy, I find it difficult to write this blog. I don’t know why. I can’t figure out how such an awesome experience is leaving me speechless. I am literally writing exactly what I am feeling at this point. Excuse the random thoughts that might appear. I can’t control them.

          When I think about how I have changed during this trip, I struggle to keep my mind focused only on myself. There is a constant interference of you guys; Ben, Clint, Andrea, Carol, Nicole, Eric, Pammers, John, Professor, Sara, and Danilo. The eleven of you have taught me so much without even knowing it. I have learned about myself through you. Every excursion, every meal, and every conversation has given me insight into each of your lives and I thrive on that. Your personal stories and experiences have made me question certain things in my own life, helping me to see what is really important.

          When I sit here and think about the overall trip, I am stuck on the words “make an effort.” I have always tried new things and what not, but this trip has made me break out of my comfort zone even more than before.

          Italy has shown me how to attack life. There’s no room for pretty good; you have to be “Da best.” This doesn’t mean you have to be the strongest, smartest, or richest. The measurement of the best is within you. Clearly things are not going to be perfect, but with so many ways of seeing things, maybe it is better that way. It is through imperfections that we discover the most about ourselves.

          “You only get one first shot at Italy.” This is a line taken from my first 325 blog and to be completely honest, I would not have wanted my first time to be any other way. From Johnny sandwiches and Danilo sayings to Kemps and To-Lido, we have made nothing but memories. It has been a pleasure and a true blessing to have been given this opportunity. Thank you.