“It takes a long time to grow an old friend.”

- John Leonard

This quarter has brought with it a little rhythm. A little stride. I’m getting better with my time, though I’m beginning to worry that time is not getting better with me.

Last quarter, my first back at school, felt like a constant rush job. I wondered to myself if I would honestly be able to handle school full-time if things felt so hectic while I was simply going part-time. I got through it OK; though I realize that my saving grace was knowing so much of the content in my Digital Design class allowed me to worry about only one of my two courses.

With the first four weeks of this quarter fallen victim to history it’s feeling like a whole new ball game. For the past 3 weeks I’ve been waking up at 7 a.m. (well, at least my alarm has been going off at 7:00). I’ve been “working out” (though it’s almost a farce to call it a work out) in the mornings and trying to get my days started sooner rather than later. I’m managing my time better and school work is (for the most part) being kept up-to-date.

I’m finally feeling the abundance of free time that I felt I should have with a part-time college appointment being the only proclaimer of my time. However life continues be a case of “be careful what you wish for” as the free time brings not only relaxation but restlessness as well. Restlessness, in turn, has it’s own rewards and challenges.

I’ve started reading technical books again, and I’m feening for a project more & more. I’ve started sketching out ideas again. I’m exercising. I’m watching movies. I’m reading. I’m planning. In this sense it feels good to have life’s pace closer to where I want it to be.

My multitude of minutes have also allowed some of life’s cracks to resurface. The single toughest aspect of this adventure is the sudden absence of friends. I’ve been making friends along the way, some at school some around the apartment building, however they are all, so far, peripheral friendships. Some friends are what I consider “first friends”; friends you make due to circumstance more than personality. These are often the friendships that don’t last.

Others from who, I believe, could grow full friendships. However situation and chronology both seem to conspire against me and as of yet that hasn’t happened. Neighbors who may become closer as the year becomes older. Classmates who might be more than homework buddies if time allowed the relationship to mature.

Still yet are those hand full of people who I’m sure would be good friends if we were at different points in our respective lives. Neighbors or classmates who would hang out more if they, like me, had just emptied their friendship piggie-bank and were looking to rebuild their accounts.

I have no doubt that time will fix this solitude surplus that I’m currently suffering. Though even now, “suffering” may be too strong of a word. 99% of the time I’m content, happy, or better. But there are times, without question, when I’d like to call up so-and-so and ask if they wanna grab dinner, or a beer, or maybe just hang out and bullshit.

Though there are clouds in the sky there is, without doubt, more sunshine than not shining through. Don’t let my (endless?) complaints fool you. Life is good. Life is really good. There is even a bright side to this temporary dearth of a social life. This absence of activity has at least given me time for introspection as well as retrospection…

One of the tasks I wanted to accomplish over the winter break was write a series of blog entries that would represent the “state of the adventure” so far. I sat down several times with the sincere intention of lettering out some history, but nothing ever came out. Over the last few days however I’ve been feeling like I may finally have something to say. So maybe there are a few more posts on the way.

But let’s be honest with ourselves here an not hold our breath.