Collegeville, In Sum

Two months had come to pass, and I did what I had come to do. The graduate school applications were finished and awaiting recommendations from former professors, I was back to health, relative to my month in China, and most importantly, I got to spend enough time with family and friends to sufficiently catch up on each other’s lives. Despite having spent a significant chunk of time behind a computer screen, tracking down every last grad program, or programme, since I’m applying to British schools, I reminded myself why there’s no place like home, which is, that all the things that one needs to live comfortably are there: a cozy bed, unlimited food, people who care, and of course, a drum set. Perhaps Abraham Maslow would disagree with one of those needs, but his thesis remains intact: needs and wants have a sequential order in which they must be fulfilled, and I’d like to thank everyone, minus our semi-autistic housecat Squeekers, for helping me fulfill those needs by spending quality time, in front of the fireplace, behind a bar, or with a video game. As days went by, I let Collegeville’s gravitational pull take hold of me, and if it weren’t for a few minor details, such as overreacting traffic cops, unpleasant cats, and not having a job (I did say minor details, right?) there would be no reason to leave. I’m glad I stayed as long as I did, and didn’t yield to knee-jerk instincts of taking flight when the reverse culture shock of suburbia kicked in. In the past two months, I feel like I was able to connect the old life with the new, merge the local with the international, and pave the way for the next eight months on the road with the two lives comfortably in the balance. Thank you for reminding me the importance of this.

That said, it’s time for another adventure. How about Thailand for starters?