There's No Water Here.

I didn't really know what to expect when I came down to Las Cruces in southern New Mexico. I knew I'd be hot and dry, but I guess I didn't really understand what that meant. In Washington the hotter it is, the nicer it is to be outside. That is not true here. Maybe if there was a lake or river to cool off in it would be okay, but there isn't. There's just no water. Yet somehow the extensive campus lawns stay green, something I find slightly offensive every time I think about it. Anyway... I have been going to classes for about a month and a half. I'm mostly taking intro classes with little 18 year old freshmen, which is a little depressing. Fortunately I am also taking intro to Cinematography which is my most serious class. At Western my film classes were the least serious, so this is a nice reversal. I got involved with the residence hall council which, I realized after our first meeting, I care very little about. But I am the events photographer, so that should be fun, once we have an event. I'm also taking swing dance classes which are more fun than I expected. A couple weeks ago my dad was nice enough to pack up my bike and mail it to me along with some gear. Last weekend I went on a little bike trip to the Organ Mountains and had a really great time. It turns out that despite being terribly dry and hot, New Mexico is actually really beautiful. I wish I had a camera, I'd show you what I mean. I look forward to more trips like that on future weekends. Other than that, my time here has been pretty dull. I've been waiting to come home (December 11th) since I got here. I recently decided to visit Rory at Beloit over my week-long Thanksgiving so that's something else to look forward to. Unfortunately only a couple weeks before winter break. Oh yeah, also it turns out my roommate isn't crazy. He just spends most of his time on his computer with headphones on, just like me. He also goes back to El Paso every weekend. Even though college is pretty unpleasant so far, I feel good about being here. I feel like I can see the bigger picture. Getting a film degree won't mean I'll have learned film making, but it does mean it'll be easier to get internships and jobs where I will learn. For now I guess I'll just buckle down and count the minutes (103,686).