Where do I begin?

Hey there! Since I don't really mean that in an existential sense, I suppose I should begin with my name. I'm Brigid Strait, an early entrant, and most recently I hail from Waterloo, IA. I say "most recently" because Mom and I are always on the move. Through the years I've lost count of the number of places I've lived, but at my last reckoning the total number of schools I've attended plus the homeschooling programs I've used came to about 16.

High school was unsatisfying for me. I was appalled by the low standards, and I could be pretty vocal about that. (But honestly, if you're in high school, much less in "Advanced World Studies," you should know what Africa is even if you don't know where.) I was equally prickly in correcting the teachers, which would sometimes lead to sort-of Shimerian discussions, but those discussions had more arguing than listening. And, I didn't yet have the skills to pull off an in-depth discussion, but I was too stubborn to sit down and shut up. Made life difficult. I was not a part of the high school community; I never attended a football game, I took as many online classes as possible (they were more challenging), and I spent a lot of lunch periods alone in the library. Terribly cliche, I'm sorry. 

Assuming I don't get amnesia, I think it's safe to call this semester unforgettable. Everything I'd hoped for has come true, although not necessarily in the way I'd expected. Classes challenge me. I'm not a straight-A student! That probably shouldn't make me happy, but it's the first time I've made an effort and still not aced the class. It's more refreshing than frustrating, because I got the grade I deserved. I've made friends. I've found people who share most of my hobbies, whether it's reading Terry Pratchett or swing dancing to the Flat Cats. I room with Abby, Sloane, and Hillary, three of the most beautiful girls in the world. They're too marvelous for words, and we have a blast together. I'm pretty comfortable with all of my classmates, and there's always somebody up for an adventure. All I have to do is say "Who wants to (insert idea here)?", and chances are I'll have company in an instant.

I have to admit that being in Chicago is strange. I lived in a few legit cities when I was small, but I don't remember them. Most of my time has been spent in very, very small towns and little cities like Des Moines, so this is a big change for me. Some days everything is beautiful, and other days I wonder what on Earth I'm doing so far from home and everything I'm familiar with. I'm learning the city quite well; back home, I was hopelessly "three-directionally challenged," as my mother put it, and somehow here I'm always in charge of directions. There's always so much to do around here! So far a sampling of my 3 a.m. exploits includes going to Clark's cafe, having a snowball fight interspersed with philosophical discussions, and watching Dawson's Creek with friends. It's a pretty amazing change, a little strange to think about at times, but I couldn't be happier to be here.

Add me on Facebook if you want to talk, and hopefully I'll be seeing you around here soon!

Comments

[Brigid]

I'm terribly sorry about all the old love song titles I put in here. Pretty obvious what I was listening to that day.
(Remembered I'd done that when I started wondering why the heck I'd written "through the years" and "unforgettable". I'm not always such a cliche writer!)

[Homeschool High School]

My boys homeschooled high school and it sounds like they are very similar to you. Traditional schools would have been a terrible waste for them. They so much just wanted to LEARN, and high school really isn't so much about that. College is where they've really found the intellectual challenges to grow and expand. I'm glad you seem to be having a wonderful college experience. Keep it up!