Note: I planned on simply writing another little rant about attending university, but it became something much different (and something much more positive). 

In T-minus five days, I’ll be packing up the Xterra and heading to the windy, wide-open plains of the South Park Basin, hiding from the world in a friend’s cabin, completely disconnected from the internet and cell-service. It’ll be a much-needed break from the insanity that’s been my first semester at university; a long-desired reprieve from the torturous city life. 

Ok, some may call me a bit dramatic for calling the city life “torturous”, but I honestly don’t know how else to explain what this semester has felt like. I haven’t been going to school out of passion or excitement for learning. Frankly, I’ve been going to university in spite of my passion/excitement for learning. After all, I see undergrad as a series of boxes to check, instead of something that’s genuinely preparing me for a career in science. That feels especially true now, given the current state of the country.