Vagabond

After a year's hiatus from undergraduate academia, I am finally finishing my last two semesters, and am en route to receiving my bachelor's degree. My return to college is something I'm thrilled about; while being an intern at Disney World was naturally awesome and exciting, I have definitely missed learning, especially after a summer of work. So, after last week's two days of semester boot camp, today marks my first actual week of classes. And I am truly excited.

But this time around, things are different. College has been a longer journey for me than for most; while others have a four-year plan, my own academic plan has been marred with hardships and spotted with leaves of absence. Such are the struggles of one who is paying his own way through school. So while many familiar faces have been with me for the majority of my college life, it is now that I am noticing just how many faces have moved on - either upon graduating, or simply transferring elsewhere. It's strange to be in such a familiar place where I've known many, yet look around and see that I'm surrounded by strangers. Taking a year's break from college will do that, of course, but I've noticed this phenomenon especially since school started. Aside from faculty, I hardly know anyone here anymore.

It's sobering. But it is also refreshing.

The sobering side of it is this: Meeting so many individuals and living with them as they experienced college was wonderful. I am a social being, and loved the friend circles that college offered me. Sure, I made a lot of friends in college; and yes, I still know many of them. But the reality is this: College is simply a fleeting phase of life; and inevitably, all of us will end up going our own ways. Seeing so many of my friends moving on with life is definitely thought provoking as I watch my own chapters of academia coming to a close. But being surrounded by strangers, at times I feel like a vagabond in my own college home.

However, this is also a refreshing time. I'm more focused than ever on success. No longer am I subject to the judgment of peers who have seen me transform from an odd, awkward humanoid into a thriving, less-awkward individual. No longer am I plagued with the drama of what's happening in friend circles, who's dating who, or what happened last night in a friend circle. Of the few familiar faces I still see here - fellow students and faculty - most of them have had journeys similar to my own. We've experienced hardships together, helped each other through them, been there to support each other, and grown stronger for it. These are lifelong friends, and I'm so happy to share the last semesters of my own college experience with them.

Though they are few, I'm thankful for the familiar faces I can still see on a daily basis. And as I am now getting into the full swing of this semester, I'm more excited than ever to see how much I learn throughout the rest of the year. And though at times I may feel like a vagabond in my own college home, I know I am here for a reason... and I am okay with that.


**let things fall as they may**

- Knolster

Challenge

Today in one of my college-level classes, I was asked to list the importance of different values in my life. The paper before me listed several wonderful things, such as integrity, love, creativity, and power. One item on the list struck me, however. Challenge. While things like integrity are key to my character, and things like creativity are definitive of my personality, challenge stopped me in my mental tracks. The more I thought of it, the more I realized how valuable challenge can be to an individual, and the potential power it holds.

Definition 5 on dictionary.com fits my perspective perfectly.

chal·lenge [chal-inj]

difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it

Thinking on this, I marveled at the prospect of challenge. When facing a crisis, I always analyze the situation, deduce my options on how to deal with that situation, and make a decision. Once that decision has been made, I follow through and (if possible) avoid or solve the problem. This usually takes milliseconds, and I don't even notice. What I never think of, though, is the challenge I have faced and defeated. Challenge can be horrific, but if faced properly, it can make a person better. I feel that every challenge holds potential for progress, and if dealt with correctly, will make a person stronger.

The more I think about challenge, the more I value it. Challenge ushers motivation to progress oneself. This progress can be physical, mental, social, emotional, or spiritual. Challenge knows no bounds, and the only limit with challenge is one's response to it. Without challenge, we become stagnant. Challenge holds the power to change every facet of an environment, but only through those who choose to face that challenge. So with that in mind, think about the challenges in your life, and their potential to make you a stronger person.

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." - James 1:2-4 NLT

And with that, I say challenge accepted.