Hanging In There

 Hi readers,

College is often described as the best time of our lives. It's all partying, drinking, adventuring, and liking. 

But that's simply not the case. Not for me at least. 

Sure I have my friends up here and we do our fair share of activities. This semester alone I've seen the northern lights, went cliff jumping, and went kayaking down the Portage. The list goes on. 

But I often worry that things may have been better if I hadn't come up here. Allow me to explain a few reasons. 

Jobs. They're already hard enough to get. Networking and connecting with employers back home is really tough from up here. I'm basically riding on previous networking connections to find internships. It's not like there aren't great employers here. Hell, that's why a lot of students come here. 

But do these employers match the life I want? I don't think so. I wish senior year Ben put some more thought into that. 

I'm a sophomore. This upcoming summer or the next is stereotypically the summer I'm supposed to be interning. But I'm worried I may not find one. I have Co-Op opportunities it seems, and I actually have an interview for one tomorrow. I may have an internship with another dream company too. I should be scheduling an interview for that one soon!

But if these don't work, I'd feel pressured to take an internship in Michigan. And I really don't think I can spend a summer in MI alone. That's just not what I want. I have too many things I want to return to in PA.

Next reason. Connections. Sure I'm building connections up here, but are they permanent? Just about as permanent as any college connection. You see them maybe once a year. I can count how many people I'd like to continuously see on one hand if I'm being quite honest. But high school? I have a lot of friends that I'd like to keep from there. But it's hard to keep these connections when I'm 1000 miles away. So that's constantly on my mind and I'm constantly trying to reach out to friends back home and stay connected. But harsh responses or the lack of any response whatsoever is really painful. Especially when it's with someone whom you used to be really close with. 

Sure, some connections back home don't seem to be going anywhere. But what about the little ones? The people who may not know how much they mean to me? Those are the people that keep me up at night. 

Moving on, we look at experiences. Allow me to say this: there are some things I look at in other schools and I say, "man, I wish I had that opportunity". 

But then I am reminded of what I have here. I have the wonderful outdoors, snow, and Tech hockey! But don't get me started on our football.

But there are more experiences than just these. What about everything from my high school career? Robotics events? My day trips with the boys? Birthdays? All the other fun stuff I have going on back home. These kinds of events live rent-free in my head. Not these school events.

Now that I ranted a bit about some of the worries and problems I'm currently facing, allow me to make light of my situation. Or at least try to.

I'm in the middle of nowhere. I'm in a water-winter wonderland. I'm trying to embrace that. To make college and my past decisions meaningful. The sense of independence this builds. The beauty and respect for PA that it builds. 

Moving forward, I'm going to try and have a positive mindset.

On the bright side, I've been working out recently. The endorphins and self-improvement that come from working out are truly something special. It keeps me healthy and makes me more self-confident. And that's important during these challenging times. 

Ever since I returned to school, the VFD has presented itself in a new light. After assisting my hometown department, the age of this department shows. But that just makes me want to step up even more. Is this good? Well, it depends on how you look at it. 

Academically, probably not. Mentally, yes. 

Firefighting and a lot of the culture that comes with it help take my mind off of my worries and sadness. I've grown some connections on the VFD and even made some new friends on campus through it. I'm proud to be a part of such an organization. 

Although my classes may be more difficult this year, I don't think it's too much for me. I still think I have a healthy balance. I was able to find time to write this, wasn't I? 

But anyway. I think that's enough for tonight. 

Writing these thoughts down helps.

I sometimes wonder if anyone reads these. But nonetheless, an orchestra can still perform when there is no audience. 

"When the going gets tough,  the tough get going"

- Knute Rockne

Wait, I'm Alive?

Hello readers,

If that's you. For all I know, this may be an entirely new person reading this.

Sometimes I feel like an entirely new person. 

This year, and most of last year, I do not have a lot of time to sit down and write. My mind is often filled with other things, and as much as this helps, time is simply not on my side.

But I will try to write short anecdotes when I can. But no promises.

I do not have time to write one tonight (I have an early Bible study tomorrow morning).

But I will leave you with this.

" Seems like the light at the end of the tunnel maybe you "

- Steven Tyler

Exciting News!

 Hello!

I want to apologize for my delay in posting. I've been very busy with some stuff up here at college. 

I don't have a whole lot of time to talk, but I do want to share some news. Yesterday, during work, I received a phone call alerting me that my brother and I were voted into the local fire department!

That's right ladies and gentlemen, I'm moving towards becoming a volunteer firefighter! I am super excited and am most likely going to get my gear this weekend. I know it's a large time commitment, but I'm willing to cut some things out for a little bit to do what I need to do.

By the way, I work at a fast-food restaurant here at college. It's called the Campus Cafe. Don't pronounce it like Café though. It was spelled incorrectly, so it's pronounced Cafe! Anyway, I am typically on the fryer, and I really like it, to be honest. It's a good rush that's not super overwhelming. And besides, in late January, I'm going to be making $15 an hour! But money is not the only good part. My boss there is super chill, and I have good relations with all the other employees. So there's a short work update.

I am still working on the really long post! I promise!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to math class and coordinate some rides for this weekend!

As always,

Thanks for reading,

The Questionable Programmer

" Don't stop believin' "

- Steve Perry

Nineteen Today!

 Hello all,

Similar to last time, I do not feel an immediate difference when I turn 19. I like to think that my realizations and new outlooks on life represent mental growth. I would have posted earlier, but I went to a workout/Bible study this morning. Here's a photo of this morning:

19 does not have any major changes in life as far as I am aware; however, this is my first birthday away from my parents. It's not a big deal, but it is saddening to not wake up and be with more of my family on such a meaningful day. 

With that being said, I don't want to present the illusion that today is a sad day. Rather, it is a rather joyful day; it's Friday after all!

As always,

Thanks for reading,

The Questionable Programmer

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."

- Oprah

Long Post Still Under Way

 Hi readers!

Today marks the first snowfall of my college journey. That's right folks, the snow came a little late this year. Rather than in the middle of October, the snow made its first appearance on November 1st, 2021. 

Also want to mention that the long post is underway! 

Lastly, I have another exciting project that I am working on! Oh, and remember that one I mentioned a long time ago? Yeah, I finished and it works! So keep an eye out for two posts about those!

As always,

Thanks for reading,

The Questionable Programmer

"To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold."

- Aristotle

I Have Not Left Yet!

Readers,

So I know at this point, you all are probably really confused as to what happened to me and what happened to the second part of the blog. Well, I can assure you that I have not forgotten about this blog! On the other hand, I haven't begun Part 2 yet. But, as events rack up, I realize one of two things is bound to happen: an in-depth write-up takes longer and longer, or the details fade and fade until they are forgotten. 

On that note, I plan on starting Part 2 today! I really hope I can get it out soon, and then I'll hopefully go back to blogging after individual events. 

I know this blog post is short, but I think I'm going to end it here!

Thanks for reading,

The Questionable Programmer

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."

- Confucius

The Update: Part One

Well hello again ladies and gentlemen.

Today is the day that you have all been waiting for: the update on my college journey. 

Well let's start from the beginning. The trip up here. 

I remember leaving the house very well. Tory, Ezra, Bri, and Big Joe all came over to say good bye and help load the car (which was filled top to bottom by the way). Leaving wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to be honest; I guess I was just so excited! After we said our goodbyes to my brothers, friends, and cats, we were off. 

The trip started off smoothly, with part of our journey going by my grandparent's old house. It was nice to see it again, and it made me wonder what they would think of me now. These thoughts were eventually interrupted after my mom slammed on the brakes a little too hard and brought down a bunch of stuff in the back. She got really emotional after this, exclaiming that she felt bullied because we were all joking about her driving abilities. It was a silent, awkward car ride for the next hour. And then the rain came.

We were looking on the radar a few hours prior, but we were not expecting what we got. We're talking people driving 10 miles per hour on an interstate bad. Here's a video during the beginning of the storm; my mother was still driving at this time. 

Eventually, the storm got to be a little too much for my mother, so my dad decided to give it a shot. Spoiler alert, he pulled over too eventually!

After we got through the storm, we pushed through Ohio, which turns out to be the most disliked state in Michigan too! Here's a picture that sums up pretty much every rest stop in Ohio: 

We didn't travel through Michigan for a long time, but we did have to go through it a bit on day one. I remember the Holiday Inn experience well. Apparently, something happened with our payment for the reservation, and we had to try and get in contact with the credit card company. We ended up sitting in the lobby for like fifteen minutes while my parents tried not to strangle the hotel staff. The next morning, we woke up and took advantage of the complimentary breakfast. When I say "took advantage", I mean we really, really took advantage. We grabbed as many muffins as we could stuff in a to go back without getting dirty looks. Needless to say, it got us through the morning. 

Once we got further into the peninsula, my dad decided to give Noah and I a shot at driving. I really enjoyed it! It's interesting to compare a minivan driving 40 miles per hour down a road compared to a minivan driving down an interstate at almost 80 miles per hour. When we got to beautiful Mackinaw City, we stopped for lunch at the iconic Wienerlicious.

Here, they offer wonderful hot dogs and bratwursts. Highly recommend you stop at this joint if you're ever passing through! Now, possibly my father's least favorite part, the Mackinac Bridge.

To easily commute across the Michigan peninsulas, you should take the Mackinac Bridge. Now, the bridge has been around since November of 1957, and has had no major problems with the bridge itself. But, the bridge is an open grate bridge, with very little siding. My father did not like this. So instead of him driving, my mother decided that it would be best if she drove. In the video, you'll see my father photographing a stuffed animal; apparently, it's tradition for Michigan Tech students when they cross the bridge, or something of that nature. 

Once you cross the bridge, it seems like a new world. Here are a few of my favorites taken along the northern coast of Lake Michigan. We unfortunately did not stop at any of these bridges because they were all on the left hand side of the road, and we didn't want to stop and try to cross. I believe all of these photos were taken on RT. 2. 

It's just like the ocean, but better! Less people, less salt, and a lot less sharks! After that, we drove up north towards a town named Munising. This town gave me small, lake town vibes. Really nice! From here, we moved west towards Ishpeming, which is actually where Uncle Rodger moved from! He told my brother and I that he never really picked a side in the Tech rivalry with Northern Michigan University, but he would now pledge to Tech since we were going there! After Ishpeming, the excitement really kicks in because you approach Marquette, the biggest city in the Upper Peninsula! This is also the home to Northern Michigan University. From here, it's about a two hour drive to Houghton, MI! Here's a collection of photos and videos from the journey through the U.P.: 

I also remember seeing a moose, but as we pulled over to go take pictures with the crowd (I know, stupid tourists, right?), it decided that it was done with the paparazzi and strolled back into the brush. Wish I got a picture, but oh well. I did get a picture of the field it had been in however:

Some time during our travels during the Upper Peninsula, my parents let me drive once more. I accidentally drove into the wrong lane, but I quickly and safely corrected myself! It was really just a straight, fast road for a few dozen miles. As we approached what I think was Munising, we pulled over so my dad could take the wheel in the town. 

Before I knew it, I had left Palmyra, PA behind, and had arrived in Houghton, MI.

I'll post at least two other parts. Probably not today though!

As always, 

Thanks for reading,

The Questionable Programmer

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"

- Lao Tzu