months have turned to weeks.

Graduation is approaching in t-minus three weeks and I have been drawing up a lengthy to-do list in my mind- experiences that I hope to have when I am no longer bound to the time constraints that come with the world of academia. Granted, I will have a whole new type of time constraint binding me- that of the 9 hour workday, but hey at least I will have no weeknights/weekends with homework. Below is my attempt to get this compiling list out of my head and into written word:

1. Read, A LOT. I completed 2 books this semester and am currently working on a third. I still have two more Irish lit novels I would like to read and then I'm not sure what is next. Any suggestions are welcome.

2. Paint MORE. I'm fortunate to be a part of the DCF Creative Team this year and that has placed art back in my life. Still, I will enjoy the opportunity to spend more time "creating."

3. Make my trip out to Seattle and Portland that I was supposed to take back in October, but could not afford. Current plan is for January. I have to go at some point to visit school so hopefully that point will be soon.

4. Develop my freelancing and photography as side income. I'm locked in with my former Journalism professor to start writing some features for her freelancing company once I graduate, and the whole picturing thing will be on me.

5. Take GRE and complete graduate school applications. Ugh. But important.

6. Take up a steady volunteer position. I was thinking at the Greenville County Art Museum, but I might now be thinking something in a more need-based area. I've come to the realization that I do little next to no volunteering and I'm no longer at ease about that.

7. Visit McClure's used bookstore, which I was recently told is "amazing." How I did not know about this I'm not sure.

8. Continue to write tunes.

...I hope I won't let myself down. It is easy to look to January and see so much time. And while I certainly have the ability to make choices that will, in turn, affect how much time I will have to dedicate to these things, I'm afraid I'm overestimating the freedoms that will come with not being in school. I will still have responsibilities, they will just look different- more financed based. I just don't want to become so absorbed in work that I forget these things of pleasure that I wish to fill my life with. Is that immature of my to say? I'm not sure.

Asheville.

Convinced Kristin to head to the mountains with me this afternoon. I needed a new study location. So thrilled to have my camera back.

Beauty.

Right now, there is nothing sweeter than a distinct rainbow over the reflection pool, the bluest of blue skies and fiery orange leaves.

Storytime.

Tonight I had dinner with Lin, an international student from Singapore. We met back in early September at a cook-out, but I had not seen him since then until I ran into him in the library last week- when we decided to do dinner. I must say, our conversation ranks as one of the best I have had this semester.

I'm not sure if I've met another international student who was more excited about submerging his or herself in American culture than Lin. He continuously spoke about how fortunate he was to have had the opportunity to room with non-Asian students, as he feels it has drastically added to his experiences in America. He has made an effort to interact with his classmates, to dedicate time to schoolwork (he said he preferred the American education system to that in Singapore). He also mentioned how anxious he was to share his story with those around him, as he has realized upon coming to Clemson that he is one of the only outlets people have to his country. This was perfect for me because I know so little of Singapore, and was equally as anxious to learn more.

It was refreshing to hear somebody speak of how much they enjoyed the American lifestyle- a balance of work and leisure, as Lin called it. He talked of how in Singapore, work days are generally from 9am to 9pm, as a person's value is based on how much time they dedicate to their work. He said that life gets rather robotic this way, but that his friends at home can't understand why he would want anything different. For Lin, life is about finding what makes you happiest. It is about having a variety of experiences so that when you look back on your life, you can say you made an impact somewhere, or rather that you have no regrets. This semester, Lin has been volunteering at Helping Hands, where he has had the opportunity to work with underprivileged children. It was inspiring to sense his passion as he talked about this experience, and how much it has touched him to play a role in helping a child build his or her foundation.

We talked about what it means to have a shared cultural identity, and whether or not such an identity will become blurred as we are entering an age where we are increasing our interaction with people from different cultures. Certainly we will walk away from these interactions with some new knowledge that we will then add to our own identity. Therefore, will it be more difficult to identify as "American" or "Singaporean?" For instance, Lin pointed out that before coming to Clemson, he didn't realize just how Americanized his life in Singapore actually was. I asked him if he thought this was a good thing or a bad thing, but he was not sure. He just said that it makes it difficult for him to determine his actual identity- who he is as a person.

I realized tonight that I want to do more of this- to sit down with people I know little of and take the time to listen to their stories. Lin and I both agreed that there is not enough of this in the world- a willingness to share. It is fascinating to me the things you can learn through such an experience. For this reason, I encourage all six or so of you to sit down with somebody that you don't know very well this week- to invest time in sharing stories.

Read.

Psalm 4.

and breathe.

Musical Berlin.

On BBC News today I read that a wall has been built around the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to block out people who don't have tickets to the MTV U2 concert, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Many find it ironic that an event meant to commemorate this anniversary is constructing yet another wall...

as do I.

It's a bit humorous though that the article itself doesn't really emphasize this point- mostly just the fact that it is inconvenient for the people of Berlin, many of whom now won't be able to see or hear the concert.

picturing.

I've been camera-less for a little over a week now- during my favorite time of the year.

It's been hard, but I realized that morning that it has been refreshing all the same.

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in taking photographs that I can miss the experience completely...there is only so much that can be seen behind the lens. Sure, I can capture some great moments with the click of the shutter, but if I'm not careful, I lose the moment in it's entirety- particularly the way the moment feels. Sometimes it becomes too much about making sure I get a good photograph, than allowing the moment to move me. Perhaps this is just because I'm an amateur photographer, that I just can't multi-task. Regardless, it's an issue sometimes.

So in these days of beautiful leaves, while I have no device to capture their presence, I have managed to have a new experience in these precious times.