Some people may have noticed that I just changed my previous post. A few people expressed concerns that I was getting distracted from the main event (the actual trip) by talking too long and too negatively about my summer employment. I apologize for this. I love my college and am thankful for the two years of employment that I have gotten from the grounds crew and I have met some great people because of it. Sometimes I can be a little raw when writing, but I had no idea that 25 people would have already read what I wrote! Here's to maintaining a positive outlook and having a fantastic journey.
Jordan
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
The Hour Grows Near
The end of summer... A well needed break... The virtues of Han Solo and the implication of mimicking those virtues... I discourage avid blog readers... preparing for a trip that is impossible to fully prepare for
It has been a summer that has been both exhilarating, exhausting, and excruciating. Many things were wonderful. I hung out with my friends almost everyday; watching movies, playing video games, having cook-outs on nice days, and eating out on rainy ones. We visited my friend on his Unitarian Island resort, I played golf for the first time ever, and we again planned to stage our glorious (yet stupid) walk through the night. I played soccer with the prestigious 'Old Gringo's mens team and coached a U-16 boys team to a losing season (though not without its bright moments). Plus my own home country somehow found a way not only to not screw up the Olympics but to stage an incredible event. Even the small bit of testing I had to do for my eventual teachers license I flew through with uncharacteristic mastery of the English language as well as reading (and shockingly) math. This last week I even got to see the american legend Bob Dylan in concert with my dad. It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen, and keep in mind that Dylan is 70! With such a brilliant list of events, surely I should be beginning to feel nervous on this trip I am about to leave on, regretful even that I am going to not see these people until February, and some (sorry Max) not until next summer. Yet as we draw closer to the 31st I can only count down the days in giddy excitement, much like a teenage girl faced with the prospects of a shopping spree at the Mall of America or meeting that Canadian pop-star (Not Carly Rae... I sing with the best of them when Call Me Maybe comes on the radio). Sure it is gonna be an unbelievably life-changing trip, but why this desire for summer to end?
Today was my second to last day of working a summer job I have had for the last two years. It sounds like a good thing right? A steady job. A steady pay-check. What's more it's only a 10 minute drive from my house, on our own beloved St. Olaf campus. Yep, I worked on the Grounds Crew this summer. Doesn't sounds so bad at first. Weed-whipping, mowing, mulching and landscaping. At least I'm outside, even if the wage is poor. But after three months of long days doing fairly repetitive tasks I am ready for a break. This last week even the entertaining cast of colorful characters that I work with wasn't enough to distract me from thoughts of finally getting to begin my journey.
Anyway, that job is pretty much over and done with, giving me a week before I leave to prepare a few things. Let's start with this blog. Those of you have noticed it is not as entertaining as Vinh Watch have stopped reading long ago, but this is my style of writing, and I'll probably stick with it. I would like to say I'll update it regularly, but who knows how busy I'll be and what my internet will be like in each country, so posts might be sporadic, but most likely long winded like this one when they do appear. You have been probably wondering about my choice to name this blog 'Global Kessel Run.' Well it relates back to a few weeks ago when we were having our global potluck. I was sitting by Connor and we were talking about taking pictures on the trip. Connor pointed out that there are so many stock photos of all the famous places we are seeing already, and he does not have the photography to match such pictures. I of course am in the same boat. He proposed taking a little something from home and placing it in each of the pictures. Kind of like the girl who sends that garden gnome with her friend who works with an airline. I instantly decided that this idea was fantastic and decided to steal it. Later Julie Legler told us about her Gumby, a little green toy that she was bringing with to remind us all that we need to remain flexible. Because Gumby is flexible. I combined both of these ideas and decided to bring my small action figure of Han Solo on the trip. He will be my character to emulate. Since everyone knows Han Solo is a scoundrel and a smuggler who doesn't mind breaking the rules... hmm. Ok maybe not. But I will bring him along. It'll be a fun thing to do with my photos and it will be a good connection to home.
And it will tie in nicely to the name of this blog. As close friends and family already know I'm a big Star Wars fan. In the very first Star Wars Han Solo boasts that he did the Kessel Run in only 12 parsecs. At first it seems like a strange analogy. We will not be flying in the famous Millenium Falcon, instead we will have to use the less glamorous (but perhaps equally as unreliable) public transportation system. Instead of a Wookie who owes me a life debt, I will be traveling with 26 other students and two capable adults. Yet, like Han Solo's Kessel run, our trip will seem to go extremely quickly. Like Han Solo we will probably have to deal with a great deal of spice. Like Han Solo we will meet our share of interesting characters. Like Han Solo we will have to deal with ups and downs, triumphs and defeats, beauty and poverty (for those of you who are unfamiliar I'm referring to the Maw black hole cluster and the Kessel spice mines. But that is not cannon so let's move on.) We'll have our share of Imperial Blockades. Most importantly, like Han Solo, our trip will change our lives, and we'll tell every back-world moisture farmer about our achievement, whether they want to hear about it or not. So perhaps not such a bad analogy.
Well that's about as much blogging as I can take for one day. For those who made it this far, I thank you. In the future I'll have much more engaging things to say from more interesting places. Until then I'm going to go try to pack my suitcase probably about five or six times. (44 pounds sounds like more than it actually is).
-Jordan
It has been a summer that has been both exhilarating, exhausting, and excruciating. Many things were wonderful. I hung out with my friends almost everyday; watching movies, playing video games, having cook-outs on nice days, and eating out on rainy ones. We visited my friend on his Unitarian Island resort, I played golf for the first time ever, and we again planned to stage our glorious (yet stupid) walk through the night. I played soccer with the prestigious 'Old Gringo's mens team and coached a U-16 boys team to a losing season (though not without its bright moments). Plus my own home country somehow found a way not only to not screw up the Olympics but to stage an incredible event. Even the small bit of testing I had to do for my eventual teachers license I flew through with uncharacteristic mastery of the English language as well as reading (and shockingly) math. This last week I even got to see the american legend Bob Dylan in concert with my dad. It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen, and keep in mind that Dylan is 70! With such a brilliant list of events, surely I should be beginning to feel nervous on this trip I am about to leave on, regretful even that I am going to not see these people until February, and some (sorry Max) not until next summer. Yet as we draw closer to the 31st I can only count down the days in giddy excitement, much like a teenage girl faced with the prospects of a shopping spree at the Mall of America or meeting that Canadian pop-star (Not Carly Rae... I sing with the best of them when Call Me Maybe comes on the radio). Sure it is gonna be an unbelievably life-changing trip, but why this desire for summer to end?
Today was my second to last day of working a summer job I have had for the last two years. It sounds like a good thing right? A steady job. A steady pay-check. What's more it's only a 10 minute drive from my house, on our own beloved St. Olaf campus. Yep, I worked on the Grounds Crew this summer. Doesn't sounds so bad at first. Weed-whipping, mowing, mulching and landscaping. At least I'm outside, even if the wage is poor. But after three months of long days doing fairly repetitive tasks I am ready for a break. This last week even the entertaining cast of colorful characters that I work with wasn't enough to distract me from thoughts of finally getting to begin my journey.
Anyway, that job is pretty much over and done with, giving me a week before I leave to prepare a few things. Let's start with this blog. Those of you have noticed it is not as entertaining as Vinh Watch have stopped reading long ago, but this is my style of writing, and I'll probably stick with it. I would like to say I'll update it regularly, but who knows how busy I'll be and what my internet will be like in each country, so posts might be sporadic, but most likely long winded like this one when they do appear. You have been probably wondering about my choice to name this blog 'Global Kessel Run.' Well it relates back to a few weeks ago when we were having our global potluck. I was sitting by Connor and we were talking about taking pictures on the trip. Connor pointed out that there are so many stock photos of all the famous places we are seeing already, and he does not have the photography to match such pictures. I of course am in the same boat. He proposed taking a little something from home and placing it in each of the pictures. Kind of like the girl who sends that garden gnome with her friend who works with an airline. I instantly decided that this idea was fantastic and decided to steal it. Later Julie Legler told us about her Gumby, a little green toy that she was bringing with to remind us all that we need to remain flexible. Because Gumby is flexible. I combined both of these ideas and decided to bring my small action figure of Han Solo on the trip. He will be my character to emulate. Since everyone knows Han Solo is a scoundrel and a smuggler who doesn't mind breaking the rules... hmm. Ok maybe not. But I will bring him along. It'll be a fun thing to do with my photos and it will be a good connection to home.
And it will tie in nicely to the name of this blog. As close friends and family already know I'm a big Star Wars fan. In the very first Star Wars Han Solo boasts that he did the Kessel Run in only 12 parsecs. At first it seems like a strange analogy. We will not be flying in the famous Millenium Falcon, instead we will have to use the less glamorous (but perhaps equally as unreliable) public transportation system. Instead of a Wookie who owes me a life debt, I will be traveling with 26 other students and two capable adults. Yet, like Han Solo's Kessel run, our trip will seem to go extremely quickly. Like Han Solo we will probably have to deal with a great deal of spice. Like Han Solo we will meet our share of interesting characters. Like Han Solo we will have to deal with ups and downs, triumphs and defeats, beauty and poverty (for those of you who are unfamiliar I'm referring to the Maw black hole cluster and the Kessel spice mines. But that is not cannon so let's move on.) We'll have our share of Imperial Blockades. Most importantly, like Han Solo, our trip will change our lives, and we'll tell every back-world moisture farmer about our achievement, whether they want to hear about it or not. So perhaps not such a bad analogy.
Well that's about as much blogging as I can take for one day. For those who made it this far, I thank you. In the future I'll have much more engaging things to say from more interesting places. Until then I'm going to go try to pack my suitcase probably about five or six times. (44 pounds sounds like more than it actually is).
-Jordan
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