Today:

Be constant in prayer.

I'm getting kinda creeped out by my own eyes up there. They're totally reminding me of that time I face-planted into the pavement and got a nice little shiner. What do you think?

The Sun King

Oh Louis, why must you be so complex?

Apeiron is over!

Isn't it funny how things that always seem much larger in your head usually aren't in reality? Let's look at Apeiron, for example. This was the culmination of all of my research on the topic of Alchemy and Theology in Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights....stemming all the way back from last Fall. What started as a research paper for Italian Renaissance turned into my project for Research in Art History. So, this has been my little child for the last six months or so (assuming I started my research for this project last October)... kind of a long time!

For those of you who don't know what Apeiron is, it's a student research forum (would that be the appropriate word?). Students across all fields of study give a presentation or poster session over their particular research, and then it's open to the public to come hear them present. Last night was the big night!

It was really cool, I got to talk to a lot of people about my research and got to explain it all really in-depthly. One guy kept coming back to my poster-- he was a Chemistry major and was really interested in my work. He said that was going to write a review of it for one of his classes!

And before, I had been dreading this night for WEEKS, but it finally came and it was not as big of deal as I had thought it would be. It was actually pretty laid-back and relaxed. Now just three more weeks of class and then finals!

Mabee maybe

She's my favorite library buddy... some CRAZY times have been spent here in the Mabee, I mean... seriously crazy. Lots of giggling, awkward times, embarrassing moments... Patty's my homegirl.

I ride the air-o-plane

I completely love the airport scene-- the screaming babies, families traveling in packs, tearful hugs, introspection, and the solitude of reading a book. It provides the rare opportunity where you can sit in a spot and potentially not know a single person. You have no connection to any of the faces you see, no relationship to anyone around you. There's a strong possibility that you will not see any of these people for the rest of your life. Strangely enough, this does not sadden me-- I feel liberated.

Airports have this heightened, intense energy where everyone is rushing to the correct gate, hoping to board on time. I stare at the departure screens, mesmerized by the prospects offered, and suddenly I want to travel everywhere-- Nashville, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, England!

As I waited at my gate in Kansas City, Ben Folds pounding out piano notes in my ear, I listened to Marilyn Mountain sitting across from me making about a dozen phone calls. I presume it was business-related. I observed a young mom talking on her cell while holding her newborn, complaining about how much 'effing' work the baby was. The woman looked tired. Another older man was chewing on a sandwich, mouth open and staring creepily at me.

I was one of the last to board and my seat was 1A-- sitting at the front of my 'zone,' as they say. I buckled myself in, and listened to Chris (at least he looked like a Chris) give the airline spiel about safety regulations. The woman sitting next to me and I shared a giggle as the male flight attendant demonstrated very precisely how to buckle the seat belt. Across the aisle sat two young men-- one appearing sixteen and moaning, 'Oh man! Oh man, this feels weird!' everytime there was the slightest turbulence (It was his first time flying).

Planes are on a constant rotation, taking turns on the runway, like sisters sharing a bathroom. The plane takes off like a shot, and suddenly you are going faster than you ever could in a car on the ground. Soon you are up in the air, sailing above swimming pools and land masses-- everything looking microscopic and geometrical. I always anticipate that awful moment when you are on the descent and hovering very closely to the runway, awaiting the wheels to touch down. I'm probably one of those few people who enjoy layovers.

Ver el mundo!

I have always found a kindred spirit in Frances Mayes-- she is of course the author of Under the Tuscan Sun and the book I am currently reading, a Year in the World. She has this particular way of describing places in such a beautiful narrative; she stirs this long-existing desire in me to see the world. I've always had a desire to travel, to not stay in one place for too long or to visit a foreign city where no one knows me, to "become invisible.. When travelling, you have the delectable possibility of not understanding a word of what is said to you." I want.

It's not just one destination I want to see-- I want to go everywhere! I want to walk the streets of Madrid and Seville and spend an entire day at the Prado, visiting my friends Titian, Botticelli, Velazquez, Raphael and Bosch. I want to take in the heavenly lighting at the Haggia Sophia in Istanbul. Greece, Italy, Egypt, Ireland, Scotland, Iceland-- I want to see it all!

Frances Mayes expresses this restlessness to go:

"The need to travel is a mysterious force. A desire to go runs through me equally with an intense desire to stay at home. An equal and opposite thermodynamic principle. When I travel, I think of home and what it means. At home I'm dreaming of catching trains at night in the gray light of Old Europe, or pushing open shutters to see Florence awaken. The balance just slightly tips in the direction of the airport."