Valentine's Day

Two weeks from now is Valentine's Day. It is one of the nation's most widely celebrated holidays. But what does it really mean? I could go into the whole history of it, who St. Valentine was, why its on February 14th, ect, but what I really want to do is comment briefly on what it means to me. For me, Valentine's Day is a chance to show the person you love how much they really mean to you. Love is not buying them chocolate (my girlfriend doesn't really care for chocolate anyway), its about sharing experiences, and growing together, emotionally and spiritually. It is about enjoying each other's company, and being there for someone in good times and bad. It is about trust, and about forgiveness. It is about "we," not "you" or "me." So for this Valentine's Day, I won't be falling for the materialistic idealism that Valentine's Day has become. I don't need to buy heart-shaped boxes full of sweets, or a bouquet of red roses. I don't need society to tell me how to show my love for that special someone. Sure, that all can be nice, and I'm not saying its evil to get your Valentine some candy on the special day, but lets not hide behind that mask of commercialism and unoriginality. If you really love someone, do something special for them. Something unique, that shows you really know who they are, and you really care about them. You don't have to spend a lot of money to show some one you love them. I won't blog about what I getting my girlfriend for Valentine's in case she reads this (she likes to be surprised), but I will say that I am missing class on that Valentine Monday in order to be with her (she attends Virginia Tech), because if there's any way I can show her I love her, it is to be with her.

Why Am I Here?

I agree that different students have different reasons for going to college. For me however, I cannot strictly classify myself in any one of the four categories that education marketing consultant Ken Steele suggests. I am more of a mix of all of these, but more importantly, I am in college to learn more fully about who I am. I want to give myself the freedom to develop as many of my strengths as possible before I choose a career path for my future. If I had to give this type of person a label, I would call it "The Philosophile." A person that is in love with learning and growing and experiencing all that life has to offer.

I came in to college as a music major, the decision hinged on the last four years of my life. Throughout high school, my label was "musician." My friends were musicians, my activities largely revolved around music, my life was mainly dedicated to that part of me. After only a few weeks as a music major, the intensive program had me strongly rethinking things about who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. For the first time, I was not taking any academic classes, all of my work involved music and only music. Any free time that I had went in to practicing my saxophone or piano or sight-singing or reading rhythms. For the first time in my life, I was not enjoying my music the way that I used to. For me, it had just become work. And when I realized this, I knew that a music major was not my calling. I missed writing, I missed learning about science and history, hell, I even missed being challenged by math! This realization was perhaps the most important thing that has happened to me in the last couple years. I have since switched out of the music major program, while still keeping that passion in my life as a music minor. I am taking biology, math, writing, all of the core academic classes. And to my surprise, I've never been happier. I feel more in touch with myself in recent weeks than I have felt in years. I am exploring the academic, left-brain side of me that I had all but abandoned since delving deeply into music over the last four years. I certainly don't regret those years; they are and will forever be an integral part of me, but I am happy and excited to rediscover other parts of me that I haven't seriously explored in a long time.

So, to bring this blog back to topic, I cannot say that I fit into any of Steele's categories. Instead, I am here in college to find out who I really am, what are my strengths, and how I should develop them to help me in my future.

Snow: Snowhere to be found in RVA

I'm not the type that typically likes to rant, but I'd just like to comment on the fact that Richmond has seen NO SNOW so far this year. Not even enough to blanket the ground with the pretty white stuff. The last time we got enough snow to talk about it was the day I was supposed to drive back home after finals, and it was a great day, mostly spent walking around in the fresh powder with my only other C'ville friend still stuck in Richmond. I need not say that most of the rest of the country has received record amounts of snowfall, especially the midwest and northeast. Some say its one of the snowiest years in the last decade, yet Virginia as a whole has seen almost zilch. I'm not a huge fan of cold weather, but, if it has to be cold, it could at least make itself useful and snow a little. I love how quiet and peaceful the city gets when there's a few inches of the stuff blanketing the ground...its beautiful and calming. So anyway, let me go on record to say STEP IT UP, MOTHER NATURE. I want some snow, and I want it soon. Don't make the cold weather go to waste, please. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Sky Young

Bucket List

1. Create international music management company from ground up
2. Own a house in another country
3. Visit every continent
4. Hike the entire appalachian trail
5. Get proficient at snowboarding
6. Graduate college
7. Learn to fly a plane
8. Hang glide
9. Learn to ride a horse
10. Pan for (and find) gold
11. Ride a hot air balloon
12. Get married
13. Go to Hooters
14. Own a beach home
15. Sky dive
16. Legally change my name to Sky
17. Raise a family
18. Buy a sailboat
19. Learn Tae-kwon Do
20. Learn to ballroom dance
21. Learn to salsa dance
22. Own my own restaurant
23. Be a grandparent
24. Attend a superbowl (in which the patriots play and win)
25. Tour the east coast with my band
26. Visit Alaska
27. Grow a beard
28. Take part in a relief effort in a foreign country
29. Learn another language fluently
30. Go into outerspace
31. Save a life