Jumping into January

        I enjoyed visiting with my friends and family in Austin over the past few weeks, and I regret there wasn't time enough for me to see all of them.  It seems like no matter how long I spend in Austin, I always want more time spent here.  As usual, I love the abundance of delicious local restaurants within a few miles of my parent's house; new to this winter was my appreciation of the warmer weather and Austin's array of movie theaters.  I had a fantastic time celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah in December, and I loved being able to supervise the completion of TIM after a lengthy editing process.  I also enjoyed the time off from school that allowed me to catch up on some of my favorite television shows.
       As I sat writing this post, I looked around at the bedroom I used to consider home.  Since I am leaving early tomorrow morning to return to a room I have lived in for the past few months, I have difficulty knowing which room is really my home.  I guess they are both my home in their own way; one to house memories and one to house the present.  (The really weird part is that one day they will both house memories.  Spooky.)
        At times it seems like I just left home to attend TCU, but in all reality I am preparing for my second semester at Mizzou.  As such, I find it hard to believe half a year has passed since I started my education there.  This isn't to say that I haven't enjoyed my time there, which I most certainly have, but rather commentary about how my life is always stuck in lightspeed.
        However, time has been moving slow enough for my family to adjust to having two adult offspring in college.  Perhaps the most significant sign is that my parents and I are getting better at making college road trips, because my car is already packed for tomorrow's drive.  (For reference, I remember throwing everything into my dad's car a few hours before I was supposed to check into my residence hall at TCU.)  We even have enough room to transport some items for my next door neighbor Will, who also attends Mizzou.  This was worth mentioning because I excel at packing unnecessary items, like 10 pairs of shoes or all of my writing materials.  (Okay, my parents are fine at packing a car with all of my college items; I am the one who needs some improvement.)        
        Fortunately, this is only my second year of college, so I have more time to enjoy my stay in the Midwest.  While Mizzou recognizes my academic standing as that of a "Junior," I prefer to use the Canadian term "Second Year" since I will spend four years working on my undergraduate degree.  Hypothetically this differentiation could alleviate confusion that I will graduate next spring.        
        My goal for this semester is furthering the relationships I made last semester and to join more organizations on campus, which will conceivably help with the formation of other friendships.  I also plan to submit TIM to numerous film festivals over the next few months, so I will keep everyone updated on whether it is accepted anywhere. (While I have made numerous short films, I have yet to submit my own work to a film festival.) Yes, I realize this post could seem boring in comparison to other entries of mine, but I felt like starting the year off on an honest note.
         -M