Nearing Nirvana.
The Romanticism is Real*.
In what has been my greatest year at the University of Washington thus far, I have touched that sense of enchantment and grandeur and the inexplicable happiness of life that comes from recognizing ones oneness with this glorious world. I feel fulfilled, content, and thrilled to be living "The Grand College Adventure".
Academically, I have attained that which I had hoped to attain. Yes, I earned the highest marks this year than I ever have in the past, but grades and credits are mere trifles compared to my true academic achievement: finding joy in my classes, and being inspired to learn for the sake of learning. Isn't that the principle upon which universities were established upon, so many centuries ago? The University was once considered a mystical temple of knowledge, not a factory mass-producing degrees. I knew that the former still existed, and was delighted to find that it could exist for me as well. Part of this stems from the fact that this quarter provided me with the most interdisciplinary experience I've ever had. Even though my classes varied widely in topic and area of study, they all felt connected as they dealt with issues of pain and suffering and that which makes us intrinsically human. Everything I learned seemed to actually mean something, transcending the framework of homework and grades by coming together to become something more, a characterization of the vast world we live in. I didn't receive just an education this quarter: I received an enlightenment.
Much of my enchantment with the academics comes from how personal the experience of learning was for me. What I learned and discussed in class seemed to mirror my own journey from the boy I had been when entering this institution to the man I have become. The single greatest change in that process? Opening the eyes of my mind.
Where I go from here, I cannot know.
My only certainty is that I will go, and my eyes - reflecting the wonders of this wide world - will watch in awe.
Given how cinematically inclined the Romanticism possessing me is, I find it only fitting to conclude with a quote from a film. An ode to the romantic ideals of adventure, I leave you with this gem from "Interstellar":
"We've always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible. And we count these moments. These moments when we dare to aim higher, to break barriers, to reach for the stars, to make the unknown known. We count these moments as our proudest achievements. That we've barely begun. And that our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us, because our destiny lies above us.
In what has been my greatest year at the University of Washington thus far, I have touched that sense of enchantment and grandeur and the inexplicable happiness of life that comes from recognizing ones oneness with this glorious world. I feel fulfilled, content, and thrilled to be living "The Grand College Adventure".
Academically, I have attained that which I had hoped to attain. Yes, I earned the highest marks this year than I ever have in the past, but grades and credits are mere trifles compared to my true academic achievement: finding joy in my classes, and being inspired to learn for the sake of learning. Isn't that the principle upon which universities were established upon, so many centuries ago? The University was once considered a mystical temple of knowledge, not a factory mass-producing degrees. I knew that the former still existed, and was delighted to find that it could exist for me as well. Part of this stems from the fact that this quarter provided me with the most interdisciplinary experience I've ever had. Even though my classes varied widely in topic and area of study, they all felt connected as they dealt with issues of pain and suffering and that which makes us intrinsically human. Everything I learned seemed to actually mean something, transcending the framework of homework and grades by coming together to become something more, a characterization of the vast world we live in. I didn't receive just an education this quarter: I received an enlightenment.
Much of my enchantment with the academics comes from how personal the experience of learning was for me. What I learned and discussed in class seemed to mirror my own journey from the boy I had been when entering this institution to the man I have become. The single greatest change in that process? Opening the eyes of my mind.
Where I go from here, I cannot know.
My only certainty is that I will go, and my eyes - reflecting the wonders of this wide world - will watch in awe.
Given how cinematically inclined the Romanticism possessing me is, I find it only fitting to conclude with a quote from a film. An ode to the romantic ideals of adventure, I leave you with this gem from "Interstellar":
"We've always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible. And we count these moments. These moments when we dare to aim higher, to break barriers, to reach for the stars, to make the unknown known. We count these moments as our proudest achievements. That we've barely begun. And that our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us, because our destiny lies above us.
*In my introduction to this portfolio, I mentioned that I would hear an orchestral score accompanying my fantasies of adventure. "Where We're Going" is the musical manifestation of romanticism (especially in the final two minutes of the track). If you really want to get in my head, read this portfolio post while listening to it.