End of Semester

Hell, yeah. Today I am pretty much finished for the first semester of my second year at St. Olaf. It's great. I have one more final tomorrow morning (I think), but it's not a big deal if I don't do well because my prof has so graciously offered to drop our lowest test score including our final. That's pretty sweet, but rather than just skip it, I am deciding to take it because 1) there is only upside 2)there's no pressure to perform. That being said, it's a particular feeling being finished with a THIRD semester. It's a good, yet low, anxious, and reluctant feeling. I am happy to be finished for the holidays, I am sad to leave this place where I've had such a great time, I am anxious for interim, and I am reluctant to have things end.

I am really excited to go to Portland, OR for Christmas because I feel like I haven't seen my siblings in about a year, and in actuality that's pretty true. I've never been one to get excessively sad or miss home an outrageous amount, but I found myself this semester thinking about my siblings and wondering how they were. Much more than I did in the past at least. We can call, text, e-mail, but it's never the same as being together. We laugh, we tease, we harass, and in general we act like idiots. I think it's incredible really the degree of emotion that exists in our relationships. We have the highest peaks where all of our grins are ear to ear, and we also have the lowest lows where there's an awkward silence hanging in the air and we don't talk for hours on end. I also think it's incredible that whenever we have a low point no one has to say sorry and we can be fine. Now that I am older I feel as though I can actually talk about things that matter with my siblings instead of just being that little brother that tags along so he doesn't feel left out. I also have big plans for the break. Rather than bum around the house like I normally do, I am aiming to write a substantial piece, whether personal or not, I want to see if I can I invest myself and really get behind a project. Previously, I was planning on writing a comedy piece featuring an unlucky individual, but then my friend suggesting writing a autobiography, but from a third person perspective. Which to me has a lot of appeal, because here's a perfect opportunity to look back on the things I've done in my life and then comment on them from an, almost, objective perspective. I can be as ruthless or as arrogant as I please, all the while poking fun at myself for being an immature youth. Who knows, maybe it'll be something worthwhile and I'll get rich. Probably not though, let's be realistic.

The other thing looming on the horizon: China! I'm pretty pumped actually. Today I picked up my per diem check from the International Off Campus Studies office: $690 in the bank baby. Hell, yeah. In all honesty, that's way more money than I could ever need for a month so thanks for the money St. Olaf! I'm excited to go hog wild in China and just have a ball. Adventure and mischief await, within reason of course. But the prospect of a new environment with few authority figures excites me. I am sad to miss interim at St. Olaf because it was one of the best periods of my life last year and indoor intramural frisbee is pretty great, but it's China. So until then, peace.

Best wishes,
Vinh Bui