I'm back!

Wow, it has been a while since I last posted. I apologize for that, but it has been such a crazy time lately. First we had our winter break, and now I am trying to get in the swing of things for my new course during J-term.

 

Winter break was very nice. It meant the end of the fall semester, which in turn meant the temporary release from school-related responsibility. I did a bit of traveling; my family and I headed to Chicago to visit my mother's side of the family. These reunions are always exciting and action packed. I have a big and goofy family that is always sure to entertain. After that, we visited my father's side of the family in Moline, Illinois. Once again, this is always a treat. My grandmother is a firecracker. She always has something new up her sleeve and is still kicking hard at 94 years old.

 

Before I knew it, though, the break was over and I found myself starting a new course. The way January Term works is each student takes one course, which typically meets every day. These courses are usually the same workload as a full-semester course, but are a bit more compressed. This is also a time when a lot of students do off-campus studies. For example, I have friends who are living with the Maasai in Tanzania, attending several plays in England, and fighting off the cold in rustic huts in the Boundary Waters. I am doing a sort of off-campus study, but not exactly the same. I am currently observing at Decorah High School in the biology classroom. This is the first step of many in order to get an education major/minor, and eventually in becoming a teacher. This is something I have thought about for a while now, so I figured I would try it. It is too early to tell now if it is something I will still want to pursue after this month, but that is exactly what I am using it for. It is an exploration of the profession to determine if it is something I could see myself doing down the road. I'll get back to you about that later.

 

So there you have it; a recap of what has been going on in the life of Collin. Obviously it is not all inclusive, I've left out stories of snowboard trips, dogsitting, and seeing old friends. Maybe I can touch on that later. Have a fantastic week, and I will talk to you soon.

 

Peace,

Collin