How I find my peace and quiet
If not for the Internet, then it could have been a bloody August. Literature was my true calling, but I was unaware of my other options. A joint degree appealed to me, but I don't fancy studying heritage. I wouldn't have second thoughts if it was the District of Columbia. New England would give me ambivalent feelings. My old man reminded me about Transcendentalism, which seemed to be a political thought. I was right until I read the Gothic tales of Edgar Allan Poe. Facts and common sense were exchanged for ideas and imagination. The world would need dreamers, but Poe might have been an unusual fellow. I was uncertain until I studied his works (during my first year). After much deliberation, I figured out that it would be exciting (and challenging) to study French.
My mother hailed from Quebec City. I haven't been to that part of Canada, and I would include it in my To-Do list. (She had fond memories of the Winter Festival.) I haven't thought about my options, one of which was the possibility of a career far and away. I also didn't think about French literature, which I had little knowledge of. Besides, the secretary of the English Department seemed persuasive about the virtues of a joint degree. I wasn't regretful about not looking ahead. (Paper writing turned out to be more demanding than I imagined.) After this was settled, my next (immediate) problem would be student housing.
How I met my best friends
Perhaps it was meant to happen. James was looking for one more roommate, and he somehow took a chance on me. It amused me that some people would see me as a forlorn teenager. I couldn't tell them that I get bored easily, and I would feel like I was in the pits (during that state of boredom). It was easy to find a cure. Graphic novels, watching sports events, arranging my room. James didn't find it a problem at all. Sam thought I was an unusual fellow, which made me nervous. (I couldn't relate to Poe at all.) Bill was a quiet boy, but I sensed we would get along. And I wasn't annoyed at Ralph's frequent quotes from his favorite books and movies.
Sharing a house with four other students turned out to be one of my best experiences during my first year. It didn't matter if I was the only one who studied literature. (And they kept on asking me if the coursework was a walk in a park. I didn't tell them about Medieval English.) A compromise was a must, as it was the only way to have a harmonious relationship. Not all the time, as it could get unpredictable now and then. Sam's sunny disposition was infectious, if not encouraging. And Ralph would keep me going. (I was wrong. His quotes became annoying, but I managed to turn it into a positive effect.) We may not have a suite bathroom, but this setup was my idea of peace and quiet. I only have one minor problem, though. I may be dreaming or it could be Bill snoring at times.
