J-Term? What is that?

I think time flying by is a massive understatement. I think it's more like time takes off in it's rocket and leaves me in it's dust as it speeds off, faster than sound, leaving a very confused and bewildered girl behind. That about describes my Christmas vacation.

So here I am, back at Luther, ready for an exciting J-Term. For those of you unfamiliar with this crazy phenomenon, J-Term is the one class you take during the month of January. For many upperclassmen, this means studying abroad or internships. For freshman, it means two hours a day every day of a class of your choosing. The classes range in topic, from the quest for the holy grail to an introduction to excavating archeology to the study of cancer and its causes and treatments. My class is a perfect fit for me. It's called Walking Books, and we read books and go on walks! It's wonderful!

The books we read all have to do with walking. The one right now is about a man who walked the Appalachian Trail. Another is about the history of walking, one is a search for the contemplative life, and one is a Jane Austen novel. All in all, I am really looking forward to the literature for this course. But more importantly are the discussions we have in class. We talk about walking! How cool is that? We talk about where we walk (which is part of our homework, to walk at least 45 minutes a day), what we have seen on our walks, the kind of things we think about while we walk...it's awesome! And of course we discussing the walking that takes place in the books. Never have I been so excited for a class!

So there you have a quick synopsis of what my life will be consisting of for the next month: reading and walking! Maybe I'll bump into some of you on my wanderings!
Always,
Allison

Finals, of course

There is but one thing on the minds of all the students on campus: finals week! Quiet hours are well underway, and I think I'm safe in saying that the entire campus has had its nose stuck in books since 6pm on Friday. Except for my roommates and I, of course...we spent all day at the Mall of America!

We decided that our brains would need a break from the constant pressure of studying, so last week we said Saturday would be our mental health day/Christmas shopping day/roomie road trip day. We rolled off campus at 8am, and ended up at IKEA by 10:30! We ate lunch at Famous Daves, and shopped till we dropped! I don't think I've had this much fun shopping in a long time...we made lots of fun memories while the rest of school was cramming their brains full of knowledge. After a quick stop in Rochester for a Chipotle dinner (num, my favorite!) we arrived back at campus around 8:30. We were pooped, but of course, we really wanted to wrap presents! So we spent another hour doing that before crashing. And now here it is, Sunday before my first college finals week, and my books are staring me in the face. So in light of the difficulty level of my finals, I feel it is in my best interest to oblige my books and begin some mad studying!

Always,
Allison

Emma, Abby and I on our shopping day

My theme song

Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer. Fun for all that children call their favorite time of the year. Yes, it is that time of year when everything reminds you of Christmas, and it's absolutely 100 per cent GLORIOUS!!!! Everyone around campus is cheerful, minus the fact that finals are right around the corner. But finals are overshadowed by the wondrous feeling of Christmas. It is very clear why this is many people's favorite time of year.

Snowflakes in the air, carols everywhere. Olden times and ancient rhymes of love and dreams to share. Snow is on the ground. It is white and it is fluffy and it is here to stay! Christmas songs are now my number one play list on my computer. Everyone is walking around in a dream-like trance. For me, these dreams include Christmas stocking hung by the fire, snowflakes drifting lazily from the sky, new books and old friends.

Sleigh bells in the air. Beauty everywhere. Yuletide by the fireside and joyful memories there. One of my favorite parts of winter sitting by the fire with a warm cup of hot chocolate, or more recently, chai tea or mocha. So I cannot wait to go home, sit by the fire with good friends, and reminisce while looking out the window at the snow covered landscape.

Christmas time is here, we'll be drawing near. Oh, that we could always see such spirit through the year. Christmas is by far my favorite season, simply because everyone I meet is always cheerful. I absolutely adore the joy this scintillating season brings throughout the entire winter.

Always,
Allison

Seconds, anyone?

Analogy: Luther and Thanksgiving dinner. Give me two minutes, and you'll see where I'm going.

Luther is like a Thanksgiving dinner. Before you arrive on campus, all you can do is think about it; the anticipation builds and builds until it almost bubbles over. Same with Thanksgiving: you wait and wait to eat all that delicious wonder in front of you. Your mouth waters, and your eyes glaze over. Finally you get to move into your dorm room, which is the equivalent of taking the first bite of your Thanksgiving meal. Then you feast. You eat and eat until you can eat no more. Same goes for Luther: you are running around like you're head's been cut off, trying to do everything, meet everyone, see all there is to see. But just like the stomach ache that comes from eating too much, overexerting yourself at Luther starts to take a toll. This is what I like the call the "Belt-loosening stage" of the meal. Your belt gets loosened a few notches at the dinner table; similarly, you take a step back from all of your many scheduled activities and just breathe. Along with this breather comes Thanksgiving Break, which, for many of us first year students, could not have come at a better time. Warm clothes need to be transferred from your home closet to your dorm closet, along with blankets, hats, and mittens.

But, of course, your stomach settles down, and you get hungry again. This is about the time you start yearning for the comfort of your dorm room. Seconds at Thanksgiving means more food, but at Luther, it means coming back to the final three weeks of your first semester of college with more force and vigor than ever before.

Analogies are always fun :-)
Always,
Allison

Has anyone seen the time? It was just here...

My oh my, how time flies when you're having fun. My roommate has a countdown of days until break, and I could swear she's changing the number more than once a day! It started at 19 days, and as I look at it now, it's dwindled quickly down to 2. Looking back on my week, I realize it went the same way: it started out pretty slowly, but by the time Friday came around, it was a frenzy!

Monday included a first for me: my first time participating in the Phonathon! The Phonathon is a fundraiser for Luther, and let me tell you, people really get into it! The volleyball team went to help, and it was really kind of fun. A few of my friends and I have started going to kickboxing a few times a week. It's very different, but it's really fun! I recommend trying it at least once.

Wednesday was a good day for me personally, but a bad day for my homework. I began reading Twilight, which, for those who don't know, is the newest Harry Potter. So I started this wonderful book on Wednesday, and neglected most of my homework so I could finish it. Which I did, just at a time of the night when most people were sleeping. Whoops! But it was totally worth it, because the next night was the movie premiere! A bunch of girls decided to go, so shirts were being made all day Thursday, naps were a necessity, and there we had it: the makings of my first midnight movie! Let me just say that although the reviews were horrible, I absolutely adore this movie!

This week is Thanksgiving break, which means no class for a good 5 days! I am stoked to go home and see all of my family, not to mention chow down on some of the best cooking in Minnesota :-) You can always tell when a break is coming; students become extremely unfocused, and most conversations revolve around travel plans, how many old friends you'll be seeing, and the ever looming question of how you're going to fit all of your dirty laundry in the car!

I'll leave you with a word of wisdom from someone much wiser than I:

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Always,

Allison

I've got the blues...

No, I'm not talking about the macaroni and cheese blue box blues, although I wish I was. My blues are more of a "it's not quite winter, but it's not really fall anymore" blues. This weather is kinda of getting me down. It's been rainy and cold here the past couple of days, which doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy when you're inside, unlike when it's winter, and there's snow on the ground and you can drink hot chocolate while wrapped up in a blanket, knowing that you're nice and toasty while it's snowing outside. So that's the weather forecast for Decorah right now: blues.

School has started to catch up with me. I've been sitting in the same chair all morning doing my Spanish homework. Keep in mind, I can't sit still for more than 5 minutes without fidgeting, so sitting for two and a half hours is crazy for me. And the worst part is, I'm still not done! And I want to get a head start on this weeks homework so I can get ahead before break. Because who wants to do homework when you're at home? Not me!

These past few nights have been pretty fun. Friday, I went to see the Jitro Girl's Choir, who performed in the Center for Faith and Life. They hail from the Czech Republic, and are one of the top choirs in the world. They were fantastic! Afterwards, I went to Walmart with Anna and her roommate Christy. We got some ice cream and watched a movie. Then yesterday, after doing a major biology lab report crunch, we (Anna, Christy and I) went to Mabe's pizza (I've said it before and I'll say it again: AMAZING!!!) and to the movie theater to watch the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. It was fun to get jazzed up and spend a night on the town. Don't get me wrong, I love sitting in my room and watching movies every weekend (don't worry, that was sarcastic), but it felt good to get dolled up once again.

As for this week, since it's almost Thanksgiving break, I'm predicting an avalanche of homework from all fronts. We're talking Spanish papers, Biology labs, Calculus tests, and, of course, another Paideia paper!!! The only plus I can see to all of this is that break will just seem that much sweeter when it comes! But until then, I'll be here, just trudging along!

Always,
Allison

Who would have thought that I would get a way with wearing shorts and a t-shirt in November in Iowa? Certainly not I. Coming from central Minnesota, I am well aware of the weather implications of the Midwest. However, something crazy is going on, and for the past week, the weather has been, dare I say it, NICE!!! I'm not sure what's happening, but I'm sure not complaining :-)

JV had our last volleyball match on Tuesday. We couldn't pull out a win, which was disappointing, but overall our season was very successful. If anyone out there is debating whether or not to continue with their sport in college, I would highly recommend it. Being on a team gives you an instant family, no matter how cliche that sounds. I know that while I may not be best friends with the entire team, they are always there for me if I need them, and vice versa. Teams give you a sense of belonging, a sense of importance, and most of all, a sense of family. I will miss volleyball this winter; I can't wait for spring season to start!

Other than that, things are continuing quite nicely. Students are beginning to register for J-Term and Spring Semester classes. I am very much looking forward to a change of pace over J-Term, and some new, hopefully more exciting classes this Spring. I enjoy most of my classes right now, but they are beginning to lose their charm, as most things do once they become routine. I am crossing my fingers to get into the classes I want, but, as always, there are a few back ups.

Well I must ske-daddle. I get to go watch fish swim around a tank for two hours for my biology lab (see what I mean about being mundane?)
Always,
Allison