The Fourth Week

And so we've made it to week four. It's funny how last week I talked about how it was a good week and that it might mean that this week would be not so good. Funny because it's true. A week filled with midterms and papers and presentations can never really be that great, except for the fact that once you have that week then it'll be a while until you have it again. But all that is behind me now anyways because I've finally made it back home for spring break. A much needed break it is too. It's really good to be home now. That's how this week ends, now let me give the whole story.

SUNDAY: So I have a brother. Great guy. I do everything I can not to stay in his shadow. I go to the same college, hang out with him when he works, got my job through him, and I'll most likely have a major in the same department. Nope. I'm not following in his footsteps at all. Back to the story that I haven't yet started. He talked me into being a part of a thing called Songfest at Pepperdine. It's a pretty hard thing to describe, but I will say that it involves singing and dancing. I figured I do so much singing and dancing in my life already I may as well do it in front of five hundred people in six shows over the course of five days.

MONDAY: I'm the kind of guy who is all about forming a routine. I quite often eat at the same time each day or I'll go somewhere at a specific time each day. College hasn't changed that. I get off work at 11 a.m. three times a week, each time with a class that starts at noon. You'd think I'd just go straight to lunch after this since I have a class starting soon after. Not the case. If I ate lunch right after work it would be too early and I'd get hungry in class. To avoid this problem I hang out in the bookstore for fifteen minutes before actually going and grabbing some food. That's me... a problem solver.

TUESDAY: Tuesday is when this week began to go downhill. By downhill I mean it got worse, not that it all of a sudden became an easy smooth ride. More like a bike ride down a hill at an 85 degree angle that sends me flipping and tumbling endlessly out of control. This slippery slope began with my humanities test, followed by working on a philosophy paper, followed by working on a social action and justice paper, followed by working on another social action and justice paper, followed by sleep at three in the morning. But wait. That would mean that last event really happened on...

WEDNESDAY: I had a presentation for my SAAJ class about a project on utopian societies. We had to create our own fake, fantasy utopian society. We decided to present our idea through film. What better way to create a perfect world than to film it in this one? It was fun for me to write the film since it gave me the chance to write a script for the first time. Even if it was filled with cheese. After the presentation I had to start work on my philosophy paper again. Nothing like a paper about thinking to get me to want to stop thinking.

THURSDAY: The only thing that can really be said for Thursday is that I really got around. No joke. I got off campus all the way to Ralphs since I had to get some money, which is a true joy in my life, and I got all the way up to the CCB on campus(I left my oxygen mask at the dorm) to do some more singing and dancing. Quite the traveling day. At various points it seemed to be going so fast that I just had to pause, take everything in, then remember to keep breathing. Obviously I was successful.

FRIDAY: And then there was Friday. There I was thinking that my film midterm would be okay and then I'd leave and go home (not to say I didn't study for the midterm or anything. I put in about five or six hours of my oh so precious time to studying for it), but for some reason it decided it wanted to be more like death without the smell. But Friday is the day that also brought happiness along with it. I finally got to go home. Being a Friday afternoon and having to drive through Los Angeles and north county San Diego the drive naturally went by in a flash (When I say "in a flash" naturally I mean that there was an hour and a half spent in traffic). And then I was home.

SATURDAY: There's nothing like waking up in the comforts of your own nice warm bed with the sound of rain pouring outside your window. I've heard that rain is used in movies and books to signify renewal or rebirth. Maybe that means I've come to a point of renewal, or that my life is about to reach a new chapter. Only time will tell with that though. There is one thing that I have learned for sure. The thing that I probably missed the most while away at college (excluding my family and friends of course) is being able to walk ten feet to the fridge to get food when I'm watching TV. It beats a twenty minute walk. But now the sun has set on this week that just may have ended in my own rebirth. Here's to the future that seems like it will never come.

The Third Week

And so we've made it to week three. That makes it 21 days since I started this blog, 22 pictures. Even in just three weeks this journey has been quite the adventure. This week itself has been quite exciting for me. I was able to do a few things that I had yet to do here at Pepperdine, which is saying something considering I've been here for almost half a year now(just four days shy of half a year). This week was filled with primarily good things, which could mean that my next week ends up not so great, but I'm thinking right now that that won't be the case since no matter what the week will end with being home. Being home will make it okay. But we're not talking about next week. This past week is probably the one you want to read about it. So let me tell you about it.

SUNDAY: Nothing special this day. It's not like it was any sort of holiday or anything. It was the premier of the new disney channel original movie, Starstruck. I used to watch Disney a lot at my grandparent's when I was a child. Those were the days. I've been bringing those days back though by watching the Disney channel a little more often lately with one of my Resident Advisors(he will be featured briefly later). Starstruck wasn't that great though. Sub-par for a Disney channel original. Definitely no "Get a Clue". It did make me feel a little bit like a kid again though. Back when I didn't have bad knees and a bad memory.

MONDAY: Monday was a day that I decided to do something a little different. I woke up early and went to watch the sunrise. It's amazing how long it's been since I'd seen a sunrise. So long that I don't even remember the feeling of watching it come up. It's amazing how the tension inside of me was rising just as the sun rose with it. And then the sun breaks the horizon and as the light is released through the sky so the tension was released inside of me. Tension that may have had nothing to do with the sunrise in the first place. It was an amazing feeling. Hopefully it won't be too long until I get it again.

TUESDAY: There is a place on campus that has food that I enjoy no matter what... the law school... if anytime means between nine and two. Meaning in order to get food there I have to go between eleven and twelve, which would mean walking all the way up the hill to get there and then all the way back to get to my class. It's not what I like to do very often. But I thought I'd treat myself, I deserve it. Maybe... not really. But I did want it. The law school has the absolute best view too. Not just seeing the ocean. I could see that anywhere. It's the ocean, coupled with the view of seeing exactly where I live and fit in next to it. My word. I'm being unusually deep this week.

WEDNESDAY: I am a very self-centered person. I know what you're thinking. How could Mini-Mitchell possibly be self-centered? Look at his blog. He spends all this time talking about other people's stories that aren't just his own. Well. Since I spend so much time talking about these other people I may as well continue talking about them. I have been spending quite a bit of time with my RA and suitemate Jeff watching movies. It's been pretty fun. It makes not leaving the dorm so much more entertaining for me. But as you can see, there are setbacks. When you start hanging out with a specific person or group of people, there's always one big risk. THEY COULD NEVER LEAVE!!! Haven't reached that point yet, but I'm sure when it comes it'll be loads of fun. Or maybe I'll be the one to never leave.

THURSDAY: Now along comes the philosophical, pensive, spiritually thoughtful Thursday. I got a double dosage of the spiritual this time though. Every third Thursday of the month the freshman chapel takes place. It really reminds me of a high school devotional, which is pretty okay with me. It had been a long time since I'd really sung like I did at freshman chapel. I think the girl sitting in front of me may have noticed my rust. Followed that up with the Shafer dorm small group. We had really deep interesting discussion. It was probably a bit of that deep discussion that carried over to this blog.

FRIDAY: Yin-yang. Last Friday I had the mild disappointment of getting a C+ on a test for my humanities class. This Friday I once again had to deal with getting my grade back for some vocab quizzes that I had in my Intro to Film class. It could have ruined my Friday. But no. A+'s don't ruin Fridays. Follow that up with the Crispy Chicken Po' Boy sandwich from the caf and it made for a slightly higher than mediocre day. Next Friday is guaranteed to be good as well, since I will finally be home again.

SATURDAY: The end of another week is upon us. It's funny how moods can change from week to week, day to day, minute to minute. I have three tests and two papers and one presentation coming up in the next week, yet, I'm not stressed. This is a miracle for a person like me who normally allows stress to become all consuming. But not this week for some reason. I have something to look forward to, I just have to make sure I do well enough over this next week to enjoy it when it comes. The sun has set on this week now. I hope this next week brings with it the feelings of a grand and beautiful sunrise. Here's to the future that seems like it will never come.

The Second Week

And so we've made it to another week. Before I begin this week I think I should apologize for the lack of interesting photographs that come along with it. It's not that I did nothing interesting(which goes against me saying I was boring. I am boring. But I'm a boring person who does interesting things), I just did interesting things inside of the comforts of a vehicle or building. Of course, any week can seem interesting if you only write three sentences about each day. So let's begin.

SUNDAY: Once again the story begins on a Sunday. It always will I guess. This Sunday was special though. It was Superbowl Sunday. Of course, it wasn't special because of the football game. I'd say the true joy came from the barbecue that took place before the game even began. Actually, a barbecue took place after the game as well. Bookend Superbowl barbecues. Not a bad way to start a week.

MONDAY: Not too many things can make a Monday that great. Free food can. I decided going into this week that I would try not to spend so much money at the caf. Not that I'm running low on meal points, I'd just much rather be able to eat large piles of food towards the end of the semester. Free food itself isn't enough though, it's what kind of food it is that matters. It happens to be Black History Month, which meant that we got a solid meal provided by a restaurant that apparently serves food that celebrates black history. I have no argument against celebrating black history when it tastes this good.

TUESDAY: A special event came to a close this Tuesday. My dorm had a special three day Bible study on Ecclesiastes. I found it quite enjoyable. Ecclesiastes is just such an uplifting and hopeful book. The discussion was fun too. When I feel unmotivated in my studies there's just nothing better in the world to get me back on track than hearing that everything is meaningless. I'm not saying that in a depressing way either. I mean in the way that all my worries are very unnecessary most of the time. If only I could remember that all the time.

WEDNESDAY: I realized that I have yet to talk about my work. Job number one is being a college student of course, but it's nice to have some form of income beyond food points. I have a job working for campus recreation in what's called the equipment shack. I had a whole lot of work to do in there this Wednesday. I had to reorganize everything to fit into a much smaller area than normal, I had to talk on the phone with my dad, skype with my friend Riley, and watch a tv show. Really tough work. Exhausting.

THURSDAY: I suppose I could talk about philosophy again, since there was interesting discussion, such as what to do if we can't figure out a baby's gender, then ask what it's name is, and then it's a gender neutral name. Doesn't work. Great philosophy. I won't talk about that though. I'll talk about small group instead. We're doing a study on a book called Crazy Love. It's really quite interesting. It's about renewing our passion for God. Not a bad study to have right after an Ecclesiastes study in which we learn that everything is meaningless.

FRIDAY: Just like free food can make a Monday great, in the same way getting tests back can ruin a Friday. Of course, to me at least, waiting for a test to get graded can be even worse than finding out the grade itself. It was a humanities test, which of course is relevant to you the reader, and humanities is probably the most boring class I've ever had. That's not to say I didn't work hard to study for the test. It was actually the hardest I'd studied for a test in quite some time. It really payed off too. C+. College gold.

SATURDAY: And we've reached the end again. Once again this week seems like it has just flown by, even though it took forever to fly by. I ended this week with some amazing Indian food. Looking back on this week it seems like food was a very big part of it. I guess you could say that this week left me filled. Now it's time for the sun to set on this week. Here's to the future that seems like it will never come.

The Beginning

And so it begins. I suppose I should introduce myself formally. I am Mini-Mitchell, a little blue guy. The world is a pretty big place to me, sometimes too big. I do my best to get around to different places in order to experience it in new exciting ways, but this can be a pretty big task for a guy like me. I'm more the indoors type. I'm currently spending my days attending Pepperdine University, in Malibu. It has its perks. I'm sure I'll discover what those perks are eventually. Anyways, my life has been a pretty boring journey so far, and now I'm going to share it. One week at a time.

SUNDAY: My story began on Sunday. I can't say I got out that much on Sunday--Like I said, boring--but I did have the chance to talk to my friend Chelsea on skype, who happened to be three hours into the future at the time. Wacky, I know. That was basically all of my Sunday though. Little did I know the excitement that was to come as the week went on.

MONDAY: First of all... I've never been a very big fan of Mondays. I don't really get how anyone could be unless they loved what they did, but we all know that no one really loves what they do. This Monday was different though. This Monday I checked the mail. I don't often receive mail, but on this special day I received a package the size of Rhode Island(this of course is an exaggeration. Rhode Island is miles and miles long and wide. I obviously wouldn't have room in my mail-box, or the strength to carry it). It was a package from Despair Inc. which contained items that would encourage me along the way in continuing my pessimism. I am blue you know. I suppose it's ironic that a package containing items joking about pessimism would bring me such joy. Mondays are like that sometimes I suppose.

TUESDAY: For some reason Tuesday was a worse day this week than Monday, which rarely happens. Tuesday brought with it two tests, which dampened my normal happy-go-lucky spirit. In order to counter this down day it became necessary to do something positive. I am a person who enjoys a nice walk, so off I went to find myself a pleasurable view. Looking over the world from a vantage point such as you can see above made me realize how insignificant my problems really are, especially when the world is such a vast place filled with problems greater than my own. Yet, through my problems, I am still in a place with a view like this. I must be honest, it has no affect on my mood. My problems are still my problems, as much as I tell myself to think differently.

WEDNESDAY: I've always enjoyed Wednesdays. It seems like everything is down hill once you get to it. The hump day. Went to chapel in the morning and heard the comedic spoken word of a man named Poetri(I know it's odd. It took me 30 minutes just to find anything on him online. If I were a decent person I would share the link here, but why take away the excitement you could have from finding him on your own?). Then I had class, after which I myself mailed something... not too exciting, just returning my Netflix. I'm sure someday I'll just mail myself somewhere. It is the cheapest way to travel you know.

THURSDAY: I can always feel the week winding down starting Thursday. Just get that feeling that I want to coast right on to the weekend. Then I get a class like philosophy to make me question everything. Philosophy. Very interesting. All I hear is, "There is no truth. Except for the fact that there is no truth. Which in itself cannot be true, if indeed it is true. But if it is false, then it is also not true." Brilliant. So next time someone tells you the truth about the fact that there is no truth remember that they are really lying to you, since there is no truth, but that if they are lying to you then that doesn't prove that there is no truth. It just means the statement, "There is no truth" is false. Like I said... Brilliant.

FRIDAY: It rained this day. That is the most important thing. I truly love rain, and not just because it is the perfect excuse not to go outside. I love the feeling of the giant drops landing on me as I walk around(yes... I do go outside when it rains... and willingly too). This rain made for an almost perfect day. I ate lunch with my new best friend the pine cone. I traversed the epic floods from heaven. Finally, I listened to the beautiful sounds of the relatively unknown band, "The Beatles," with the harmonies of nature playing in the background. Nature makes some of the best music. Rain, smooth flowing rivers, crashing waves, crickets, birds, etc... the greatest band ever.

SATURDAY: And now the week comes to an end. I've always found it odd that days seem to go by so slow when you are in the moment, but when you look back it seems like they came and went too fast. Now, I guess the sun is setting on our time together. Here's to the future that seems like it will never come.