Welcome to Milwaukee! So read the sign in my head as the bus pulled up the the curb, and all 60 of us traveling in it spilled out onto the cold street. We rushed into our first destination of our weekend trip: an hour and a half of head-ache-making Milwaukee Symphony. The music was wonderful...for a one time experience. I will not be going back.

Now I'm sitting in a comfortable easy chair in our room at the Sheritan Hotel, lamenting the fact that breakfast tomorrow is at 6:30am. Will I survive the day in Chicago? I guess we'll see...

A lot has happened lately. I quit the basketball team for various reasons, and now I'm enjoying the benefit of more time available.

Today was a unique church experience. My ride slept in late, so I went with my roommate instead to a church about half an hour away. It was a fairly standard church, but afterwards, four of us students went to a nursing home nearby and held a church service with the residents. It was an amazing experience, going down the halls, and asking all the elderly people if they wanted to come. Some said yes immediately, some just let themselves be wheeled out, and some just looked at you.
We helped them sing some songs, and one of the college guys gave a short message. It was a very special time...and sad at the same time. It's hard to explain.

I'm looking at two possible on-campus jobs, as well: working in the Audio Visual department or the Marketing department. I guess we'll see which one happens.

And now...go Pats! I think this is the first Superbowl game I've actually watched.

It's been a while since I last wrote...and to be honest, I'm too tired to write. So why am I writing? Because I have ten minutes before class begins, so while the seven others that are here early scramble to finish reading assignments, I write.

Yesterday was a large improvement on last Sunday. I went to a small church in a town called Felch about an hour away, and it's one of the most welcoming churches I've ever visited. The college students were invited to the pastor's for lunch, which was fun for me and my stomach. I think I'll go back to this church next week.

Basketball practices have been demanding physically and time-wise. The latter is something that should be taken into account when considering options for the future.

Also to consider is the possiblity of an on-campus job in the Audio and Video department. I'd feel lucky to get this job, as it involves some training as well.

The teacher and guest speaker just walked in, so I'm signing off and switching to attentive mode. Trying to switch, anyway.

Busy, busy, busy, busy!

First day of college in full swing, and by full swing I mean a swing going full loops around the beam. Morning devotions with the other new/transfer students at 7am (yes, 7am), breakfast at 7:30. After an hour break, the first class of the year, Fundamentals of Speech, at 8:00. Following that was a run-from-building-to-building streak of chapel, Biblical Hermeneutics, Intro to Cross Cultural Missions, an hour break and then Acts and Pauline Epistles. All in all, these classes have the potential to be interesting.

Then came the third consecutive evening of running back and forth, printing papers, scanning papers, filling in papers, emailing papers, making phone calls and eating Oreo cookies. Double fill.

At 7:30pm, I head over to the gym with a flirting pair of butterflies in my stomach to the first of what I hope will be many practices with the Northland Pioneers men's basketball team. All I can say is that if that's the only practice I participate in, I can still die in peace. Amazing experience...nothing like any Spanish team I've played on.

Now I'm back in 208North, getting ready for group prayer time. After that, it's goodnight for this aching body.

This morning deserves a special writing. My alarm woke me up at 7:15, I looked out the window and was thrilled to see snow pouring down from the sky in large amounts.

I wasn't so thrilled when I had to walk to Founder's Center with it blowing into my hood and getting in my face. But that's life in Wisconsin in January, I guess.

So to all readers who don't get snow in their country...be jealous, now.

Good morning Northland!

Not much has gone on since I last wrote here...The better part of Saturday evening was spent on the court playing a pickup 3x3, and then supper. After supper came the much enjoyed hour or so in the Daily Grind, sipping from a blueberry smoothy on the house and chatting with new friends.

Another highlight of the day was seeing my cousin, a junior, who arrived shortly after.

Sunday came around and I was up early, ready to down a quick breakfast and head out to church in a van full of students. After the service, lunch at McDonald's, a quick stop at Walmart, and back to campus, where I've just sat down at my desk after another while of shooting hoops alone. The place is still really quiet...and it will be until the mass of students comes pouring in later in the day.

Supper is in ten minutes, so I'm off.

All in all, it has been a very satisfying first full day at Northland International University. After spending a better portion of the morning and noon running back and forth between my dorm room and registrar's office, I get to spend an hour on a beautiful parquet floor, shooting beautiful shouts at a beautiful hoop. I've dribbled the ball across Northland's center-court logo, and now I can die in peace.

Supper turned out to be equally beneficial, as I was able to help a fellow new student get into the system after he arrived shortly before. And I must admit, it was a relief that the carrots and broccoli listed on the menu turned out to be veggies and dip. For the record, I would have eaten them all the same had they been what I was expecting.

After supper we accepted an invitation and headed over to my campus parents' home just down the road. There, my new friend and I watched the Magic get a well earned victory over the Lakers, a luxury by my standards: seeing the Lakers lose and getting to watch it on TV, from a comfortable couch, with caramel-seasoned popcorn.

Now, back in room 208, jet lag is my companion and I'm drawn to my bed like a fly to...like iron to a magnet.

Tomorrow will be another busy day.