Humility through Financial Fear .

Over the past semester, and maybe over the past year, my lack of finances has been enlightening, in a humbling way. I've never been at a gas pump and been stricken with panic as I watched the numbers climb. I've never walked through the grocery store, counting in my head and totaling up what each item costs, hoping I had enough to afford the things I needed. I've never scrambled to get money to pay rent, or told friends to wait to cash checks. And yet here I am -- the typical broke college kid. Doing my best to stay on a budget with some pretty extreme maximum limits.

And while all of that is scary, I feel humbled by it all. I gain respect for the people that manage their finances well. I gain respect for students who have started to save regularly for their futures, who actively and vigorously look for jobs and no matter what, make a way to have enough to pay the bills. I have friends that pay their own college tuition, make car payments, live almost entirely on their own.

It's a goal of mine to get there. Self-sufficient. And it will happen one day. And until then, I'll scrape as needed. So while I sit here with a fear creeping in the back of my mind, at least I can still look toward a better tomorrow.

why the future is scary .

In my macroeconomics class yesterday we were talking about the national debt and how the government attempts to fix it. The economy scares the shit out of me; it's like there is no safe place to keep your money. Keep it in a bank, and it doesn't really officially exist. It's just a number. Interest never really accumulates in the bank anyways. Put it in stocks, and the market will crash. Put it in bonds, and the government can't afford to pay you back. Put it under your mattress and inflation will decrease its value anyways. Spend it and then you have none. Put it in real estate and the housing market crashes. Why is there no easy answer?

upcoming additions to the blogosphere .

So tonight I don't really have any humourous stories, I don't have any crazy nonsense, I just have a bit of an announcement. Ever since I started back at Clemson last Spring after being abroad, it dawned on me just how much stuff there was in architecture to talk about. And since then, I've always wanted to start an architectural blog. This blog is more random, hence the name "Simply, Life", because it encompasses all kinds of topics all over the wide spectrum of life. An architecture blog will be my first attempt at a blog that is strictly topic-oriented, and I'm excited for it. I already have 8000 things on my plate, but you know what? I really wanna do it, so I'm going to. I'm not going to post daily like I do on this blog, and I'm excited at the possibilities that lie ahead. It may even be cool to have it for grad school applications, as something that will set me apart if only slightly from the mass number of people applying.

To be perfectly honest, I haven't even set up anything up yet or even started the design of it, but when I do, I will certainly let you all know, and if you're interested in following, you can go right ahead! Hope you all are having a great Monday.

leave the past in the past .

It is way too easy to sit and think about all that has happened in your life and lose the time that is passing you by in the present. To sit there and dwell about all that has happened before. Granted, sometimes it is interesting to look back and see how things have changed you, how the people you've met have affected you, and how much bigger you are now, both physically and mentally, sort of like how much you've grown. But for some reason I can't help but think that thinking about stuff like this is a complete waste of time.

down the road .

It's always great to think about the future. Life down the road, you know? It's great to review where you've been, and where you're going. It's even great to take a step back and look at the big picture of the present. I had the pleasure of having a good talk with one of my roommates about all of this... and being that he is a few years ahead of me and thus a bit farther down the road of life, it's always interesting to hear about a different perspective on various things, mainly related to occupation, career, and other things of that nature.

Barcelona: Day 107 : A Final Dinner .

Tonight we ate our final official dinner with Kathrin. In some ways it was a little disappointing because so few were there -- Ivan and Jordi, two of our teachers, were supposed to come and both were sick. Ryan decided to go to Bible study instead of the dinner. Other kids were stuck getting back from Switzerland and never showed up. However, dinner was a time to reminisce, and enjoy the company of the few people that we've spent these 4 months. It's amazing that already it has been that long. I can't believe that in just a week and a half I'll be heading home. The time has gone incredibly fast.

every man for himself .

Over time I have come to the conclusion that perhaps I was meant to just do things alone. Sometimes dealing with people is just stressful and annoying. This may come off as very callous, though I assure you it is more of a personal refinement than an attempt to ridicule and alienate the general population. Allow me to explain.