Month: October 2017

Columbus To Do List Part One

| gartland.24

Columbus is a large city, almost too large. I had never really thought about it until I looked at the Columbus To Do List. I had gotten so comfortable with the campus that Ohio State seemed to shrink in size.

The list reminded me just how expansive and opportunistic the city really was.

When we were told about the assignment originally, I wondered what list I would choose. I decided that I would simply pick places at random off the various lists that interested me. I did ponder the idea of doing only coffee shops for a bit, but realized my poor heart nor my wallet could handle that amount of caffeine. Anyways, mixing up the lists meant I had six reasons to leave campus rather than five.

Already I have gone out to a place on the list with my friends. During a hot “fall” day, my floor and I went to Graeter’s ice cream to explore off campus.

Getting to the store was an adventure in itself. We missed the first bus to take us there, we were uncertain where to stop, and we found ourselves walking for quite some time. My favorite moment of the trip was when we all passed a little girl’s kool-aid stand. All of us purchased a cup and I stepped aside to talk to the girl’s mother about how to style short hair. I wasn’t sure why she trusted me, I even said I don’t deal with hair. That’s why it’s all cut off.

The setting of Graeter’s itself was bland. A busy street overlooked the small building, and I felt slightly underwhelmed. Walking inside the building, I realized how hot I truly was as the air conditioning blew on my back. Inside was homely, albeit cramped, as we all stood side by side in the line. I was excited for ice cream.

I watched the room quietly and saw a young girl with her grandmother. It made me think of when my grandma took my brothers and me out for ice cream and I could not help but smile. It is the little things that make these experiences great.

When I reached the front of the line, I ordered a chocolate chocolate chip ice cream cone.

Maggie, Brietta and I went outside and sat in the shade of a tree. I absorbed the industrialized landscape and after awhile found myself lost in thought.

I suppose the experience overall was positive, the ice cream was good and my company was better. I certainly would recommend it to my friend’s when they come to visit. However, I am excited over the fact that I have so much exploration to do. That thought alone overshadows the experience of the ice cream shop.

Exploring is what I am most excited about and I am grateful to have the opportunity to call this project “homework.” I hope to find new areas to go to when I am feeling overwhelmed with classwork and with the bustle of campus. If there is one thing I have learned, Ohio State was not made with introverts in mind. I cannot wait to find an area off campus I could call my own and have a few moments to think to myself.

However, I think I am most excited to be touched by the little experiences people share when they are out in public.  I am excited to hold the door open and smile to strangers, to have a casual conversation while looking out the window of a coffee shop, or even enjoying the presence of people who also enjoy the beauty of nature.

It is not so much the location I am excited about but rather the experience and I cannot wait to truly get started.

My favorite buddies posing with some yummy ice cream

 

Mentor Meeting

| gartland.24

It was a gloomy day when Animesh and I met. It still is a gloomy day, we did meet today after all. Looking out my window, I was surprised at how wet the Earth had become. Living in Morrill is like living in a vacuum. There is no sign of the outside world other than the prison like window in the bedroom. When I saw the rain pouring gently, I immediately felt more tired. But I continued to button up my flannel and headed down to meet with him.

He sat by the study rooms and I was excited but nervous to start. Talking is not always my forte. But, I did have a nice list to read off of.

Sitting down beside him, I decided to jump right in. Reading off the list, I said quietly, “How did you decide on the major you have chosen.”

He went into a story about his first year, his interest in engineering, and the classes he took. It was all amazing. Throughout the discussion I learned more about him, and I was happy to do so.

I had learned a lot by the end of the interaction, where we finished off with a photo and parted ways. He loved participating in ENR by being a mentor and I learned his dream job was to be a rock star or a game warden in Africa.

To me, the most important thing I had learned was that education at the Ohio State University was what you made of it. Academics could outweigh your social life at times, but it is still important to have fun and enjoy clubs. Campus was full of areas to study, such as Thompson and the outdoors, but it was also full of clubs to join, such as the wildlife and fishery club that I never knew existed.

I had learned that some classes were going to be hard. For us, calculus was a class we both bonded over struggling with. I learned that it is okay to fail and to realize that I cannot be good at everything. No one can be good at everything. But through extra effort, we can learn to become better.

Animesh spoke passionately about how college changed how he viewed himself and worked. That introspection hit me hard and I hope to use that same type of analysis to understand who I am, what I want, and how I can remain motivated throughout my academic career. I also hope to implement his enthusiasm for his future and his major into my life. Work always seems so much easier when it is something you are passionate about.

While he did not have many classes directed towards his FABE major,  I could tell that he was passionate and informed about the topics he wanted to study. It was an amazing time learning about such an unknown major, for me, and I was so excited that he too was excited to share his experience.

Overall, it was an amazingly informative and fun experience. Had it not been for ENR, I may have never met such an intelligent individual.