Expectations
This year has flown by and done so quite literally as I coasted down to complete a semester of college in South America. After reviewing the entirety of my blog, I read some humorous stories, saw some happy pictures, watched concise documentary videos and read many paragraphs of properly developed uses of composition and rhetoric. Many pictures and written entries detailing my semester abroad encouraged me to reminisce on blessed, pleasant memories. Precisely as I planned, I enjoyed recording this calendar year by documenting my accounts of the accomplishments that God has given me.
I am very pleased that I lived in (and around) Montevideo, Uruguay from January 18th until May …7th or something like that. One of my life goals along with skydiving (which I have already done) was to go to a country of Hispanic derivations. In fact, that was one of the reasons why I chose to attend ACU. I knew I liked the language so I expected I’d like the Hispanic country.
My expectations were wrong.
I expected that my fellow students would quickly become my friends, the country would conform to my expectations and that the entire experience would just be …comfortable. Overall, I truly enjoyed that semester and have the multimedia to prove it. Check out my January 15, 26, February 6, March 26 and April 15 entries.
I also expected that Houston would be, for some strange reason, a calmer experience than it was. Inner city Houston was like another country itself with the humid weather and people I encountered. Despite the two tickets I got (unfairly, I might add) one of the best times of that year was when a nine-year-old said “Humility is like falling.” I also learned some leadership skills and made some great memories. I remember talking with a fellow intern about how there was so much chaos during VBS. She said she liked that chaos because she was used to it. If I may say so, that’s a very unique perspective. Strange, really. But, one of my best memories was driving home from seeing the movie that dominated 2008: The Dark Knight.
That movie did not meet my expectations; it exceeded them. After seeing it at least six times, my ‘Joker’ impression is slowly improving. However, I was truly welcomed as I was immersed into the North American society with the flooding comfort of a handshake. I expected my Chief Videographer position would be fun, with the appropriate collection of additional responsibilities but I didn’t know it would set up my best semester yet.
September was just a hasty continuation of summer as social clubs gathered new members and a great video was made. October ran over with pleasurable entanglements of work while many social clubs were documented to build their club floats. November slowed as the realization of how the previous time passed so quickly when the first black president, Barack Obama was elected. Before December turned its cold shoulder, I realized that 2008 has been one amazing year.
When I got home for Christmas break, I realized that I left many things back at ACU. That wasn’t uncommon though. As my mind was free to wander, I wandered about how I might improve myself. I remembered Ben Franklin’s 13 virtues and found that, "He was partially motivated by Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."
Philippians 4:8 was the last of my favorite verse. How appropriate. In the respect of time, I hastily convey that 2008 was a wonderful year and I desire 2009 to be much the same, just more God-centered.
I am now almost 22 years old. 22 is my favorite number. I had lived for 22 years when I was 21 years old. Please excuse my hurried completion but I merely wanted to document that 2008 was a great year.
