It's definitely a new (school) year...

So, I've been busy. Orientation was supposed to be a week of almost nothing to do, but for some reason I felt like I had almost no free time. Singing was fun, rehearsals were intense but actually exciting, and auditions were long (4:30pm Tuesday to, ultimately, 8:15 Wednesday morning), but rewarding. My search for classes was epic, with me going through a list of maybe 12, signing up for 4 (3 is the normal load here at Dartmouth), having 7 in mind, going to 5, and finally deciding on the 3. I'm happy with the ones I have, though. Really quickly, in case you're interested:

French 3, which I need. My first French class taught by a French native!
ENVS 44; Politics and Environment in SE Asia. I don't need it - it fulfills no requirements whatsoever, but it seems really fascinating, and I think will help to give me a new way of looking at things.
Govt 59: Foreign Policy and Decision Making. A major course (as soon as I declare). The prof is new and seems (we've had just one class so far) to be exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate. And the books we have are amazing - Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq, Essence of Decision: Exploring the Cuban Missile Crisis (basically, says the prof, the definitive work on foreign policy), and I can't remember the title of the 3rd but it's subtitled The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy. So basically I'm really excited for class. And glad to be in a major course since I got waitlisted for gov 54, US Foreign Policy.

So begins my sophomore year. And the best way I can characterize it so far is "different." Why? I don't know. I'm sure a good deal of it has to do with it not being my freshman year anymore, but I can't help but think Bike and Build is a leading cause. And how do I feel different? It's tough to say. Maybe the best way to put it is that a lot of the things I did last year no longer really appeal to me. And I guess the best evidence for that is how many new things I'm doing so far. Nothing major - just the libraries I work in, the places I eat; I practically lived at the HOP last year - now I have to go out of my way to check my mail (which is there). I never really shopped so much for classes before. I've spent lots of time already in the Newsroom, being an IR nerd and reading Foreign Affairs. I asked a prof to lunch (he hasn't gotten back to me). I've generally avoided Frat Row. I'm already sick of it - going out, drinking, smelling like smoke, coming back, crashing into bed, waking up the next day not really hung over, but not feeling that great, and what do you have to show for it? A good night with friends? Yeah, pong and dance parties are awesome and I'm definitely not going to stop going out altogether, but I really think there are better ways to spend time with people. I've signed up for PE swimming because I want to do a triathalon and swimming is by far my weakest event. I'm (finally) getting tired of AIM (though I'm sure I'll still be on... besides, that's one of the only ways people get to this blog!) I think I'm gonna start going to a UCC Church (right outside my dorm) with my roommate, Ray. (UCC Churches, btw, were some of the nicest places we stayed over the summer.) I'm expanding my music collection. I'm more comfortable taking risks with travel (my journey to Toulouse, France in Jan will be somewhat epic). (Can something be somewhat epic?)

Anyway, that's not all to say that I'm consciously reinventing myself. But I feel that something is forcing me to discover new things, both about myself, Dartmouth, its resources, and the people here. And, you know, that's really exciting.

More B&B stories soon, including a multi-part journal entry from one of the, how do I characterize this... important, I guess, days of my life.