8.17.2015

Oxford: Round 2

Oxford. Something just feels right about being here. Good trails, good biking infrastructure, and lots of college students. I'm glad to call myself a student again; though, it was something I used to dread. But, I've undergone a paradigm shift. I used to think that everyone was supposed to finish college at 22, get married, have a family, yada yada, etc. Now that's been thrown out the window.

It seems wrong to ever stop learning. It took over a year of menial labor for me to realize this. Sometimes I wish I'd done a gap year between high school and college, but I doubt things would've turned out the same. There are distinct, recognizable events that got me where I am today.

I'm only taking three classes this semester: calculus, physics, and computer programming with Java. Cal and physics will be refreshers to a degree, but I'm really looking forward to programming. I've even set a goal to write a smart phone app before I get a smart phone. It may be something simple like a magic 8 ball or pong, but it'll be a challenge none-the-less.

I'm taking my time looking for a job, trying to find something I don't dread. I tried a landscaping position but quickly realized the long hours wouldn't allow any time for school (or biking for that matter). I have an interview tomorrow for a groundskeeper position with the city - basically what I did in Telluride. I think it'll be a good job for this semester with regular hours and decent pay. Hopefully, I can find a way to keep the job next semester when I'm taking on-campus classes.

Lucy seems to be enjoying her home-town and the Whirlpool Trails. She got so excited running through the woods that she misjudged jumping a ditch and landed right in the middle in about a foot of water with a nice splash. Didn't slow her down though.

Moving back here has taken some re-adjusting. I'm living a semi-college life while trying to stay focused on both school and racing. I've even ordered an athletic cook book called The Feedzone to get some good ideas for proper race fuel. Fast food and beer are not the answer! I expect to be pretty busy this semester with work, school, racing, and some other projects, so this blog will probably see infrequent posts at best. But, I'll be having a good time :)