Home—or am I? (Working Title: “What I Did This Summer”)
I’m home.
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| Told you I was home! Yet it feels less like home after everything. |
My summer was so amazing that the word “amazing” is amazingly inadequate to describe it. I learned about myself, I learned about others, I learned about so many things that I never expected to learn. I cannot describe, even in page after page of this blog, how how deeply enlightening, satisfying, and rewarding were my experiences. What I have shared with you here is just the tip of the iceberg, a scratch on the surface. Allow me to summarize, if I may. By the way, forgive me as I wax metaphorical, metaphysical, melancholic, and minorly maudlin on my mission to make mostly meaningful moments in my meandering monologue of memories.
Hehehe. Don’t hurt me, please!
It has been good—so good!—to step away from my life. Before my travels, I was in such a rut. Living in America is living in a bubble. Living in Orange County makes it even more bubbly. Living in Newport Beach—blatantly bubblific! Add to that the cloistered law school life, and it's a recipe for pure dehumanization. It’s like wearing a cozy straitjacket: you’re warm, you spend all day hugging yourself, but you’re effectively crippled.
This summer freed me. It freed me just long enough to allow me to take a deep breath and let out my “barbaric YAWP”. Then it kidnapped me and threw me in the back of a van. Thankfully, the van is headed in a sweet direction.
(Before you throw up, allow me remind you that, moments ago, I did warn you I was about to wax metaphorical!!)
I want to omit needless explanation, but allow me to say: this summer renewed my sense of what’s important in life. It taught me more about other ways of doing things. It stirred up my sense of adventure and coaxed me out of a shell that I hadn’t recognized I had retreated into. It made me better appreciate the great life I have. It showed me that many things I previously thought were worthless . . . really are. Yet it opened my mind to the possibility of exploring countless other things I formerly shunned. It caused me to increase in my compassion for most people—and in my disdain for some. It was a million times better than the summer job I originally wanted would have been.
I cannot stress enough how I feel like I have something of a new lease on life. I am a changed person. It’s like I got laser eye surgery, and now I see things more clearly. The people I met, the places I went, the things I did, the things I thought . . . I have yet to digest it all. I’m still working through much of it. But I feel like a more complete person because of it.
What Now?
I must confess something. I’d be lying if I said I’m completely thrilled to be back. Although I am certainly happy to have returned to so many people who are important to me, and I’m excited to have resumed my very enjoyable studies and work, part of me wishes I didn’t have to. Truth be told, I’m sad to have returned from my fantasy life.
This Fall, I’ve been given almost all of my desires. I have classes only two days a week. I applied for—and was awarded—positions as Staff Editor on Law Review, a Student Ambassadorship, an Academic Fellowship, a Judicial Clerkship, he tTreasurer position in the local Federalist Society, and membership in an Inn of Court. I even had my favorite professor agree to work with me on my Directed Research project—and I get to research a subject that really interests me! On top of that, my wife adores me more than ever , and my friends seem happier than ever to see me. It’s like I’ve won the lottery! Yet I wish I could firmly press the Cosmic Pause Button until I was willing to return. I wish I could make time stop and go live an extended Summer of 2011. I just wasn’t ready for it to end. It really was that good.
Life’s like that. Welcome to reality, Lukey.
What Next?
Where do I go from here? That’s multifaceted.
On the home front, it’s time to charge ahead. I face many wonderful opportunities right now, and I expect this year to be tremendously enriching. I want to continue to learn, learn, learn, baby!, and to meet as many interesting people and do as many interesting things as I can. I think I’ll have that opportunity. One thing that my travels reminded me of is that I love trying new things. I had such a great time visiting countless new places and experiencing myriad new events abroad. I decided before returning that I am going to try new things at home, often, even when I just feel like sitting around the house or coasting along in my established routine. Wish me well. Even better, if you’re local, please—invite me to your next adventure!
I’m also going to try to pick up a new language. In Europe, I was always so embarrassed that I speak only English and better-than-a-tourist-but-not-nearly-good-enough-to-survive-in-real-life French. I met many, many people who spoke multiple languages, and I envied them. With my newfound joie de vivre fueling me, I decided to that I need to learn another tongue. At first I thought I would learn norsk, simply because I love how it sounds and I find it so easy to pick up. But then, realizing that everybody in Norway speaks English (and even that is still only 5 million people), I decided that knowing Norwegian would be personally enriching but largely useless. Also, finding good learning tools for that language is very difficult. My solution? Deutsch. Not far removed from Norwegian in coolness, but much more useful to know (did you know that it's the most spoken language in all of Europe?). Harder to learn, sure, but easier to find resources from which to learn. I’m actually going to start tonight, right after finishing typing this. I have a computer program that promises to turn me into a superfluentdude (in German, they like to run words together to form long words, so I thought I’d start by making my own right now) in no time at all. We shall see how it goes! In the meantime, any who speak German are welcome—nay, invited!—to contact me and share with me your great gems of weisheit.
At school, similarly, I have decided to avoid getting into a rut again. Last year was an overwhelming success. Through hard work, much support of loved ones, and answered prayers, I did very well. But I think now it’s time to shift my focus. Grades are nice, but people are what's really important. Most of my best memories from this summer are people memories. Most of my best times since returning have been times spent with friends. I realized that the people in my life are what are most worth investing in. Years from now, I won’t care about a few fractions of a grade point, but I will care about the real, live people in my life. I’m making more time for what I believe matters, and I have complete confidence that I’m making the right choice. Some people might see this as a weakness; I see it as avoiding a pitfall.
And then there’s the subject of distant shores. Let’s just say that I am plotting my return. I was born and raised on the West Coast. This summer, however, made me long for certain other West Coasts. Well, sorta. Norway is the West Coast of . . . Northern Europe, y’see? And Israel is the West Coast of . . . the Levant?
I’m not exaggerating when I say that, in all my travels, both this summer and before, I found that Norway felt the most like home. Oslo in particular is perfect. I’ve always been a city person, and this summer I confirmed that I’m also European at heart. Even though I know that one’s location alone is insufficient to make one happy, I think I could be very happy in Oslo. The people are lovely, the city is glorious, the weather is . . . oh yeah, there’s the weather, isn’t there? No matter; "love bears all things." Besides, the language is beautiful and musical, and it would be such a treat to learn it; I’d be the only kid on my block (back home) who could speak it!
And then there’s Israel. I know my description of Israel has been less than rapturous. If going strictly by my head, not my heart, I would judge it low on the list of places that I simply must see again. But it’s not that simple. I grew attached to Israel. It seemed more than anywhere else I’ve been to have heart. It also seemed to matter. It was also much warmer and sunnier than was Norway! :) But seriously, I feel drawn, and I want to return. I want to spend more time in Jerusalem, which was so much more special than was Tel Aviv, and where I spent too little time. I’ve actually applied to a legal internship in Israel with a human rights group that combats terrorism. I’m very curious to see how things turn out.
It Ain’t Over Until . . . Lukey Makes One Last Random Quip
Well, the time to wrap up this travel account draws nigh. It has been wonderful, truly wonderful, to get all of this down in print. Having a duty to write has forced me to think about things that I would have otherwise forgotten or missed; it has been a blessing and an honor to share these things with you. Many thanks to all who have shared your enthusiasm with me by reporting how much you’ve enjoyed reading my accounts. You have blessed me even more than I have blessed you, I am sure.
Before I say goodbye—but not goodbye, because I can never say goodbye to those I care about—allow me to share just a few more thoughts, things I couldn’t fit (or forgot to fit) into previous blog entries. Enjoy.
It’s a small world after all: remember my meeting with Andreas, the guy I met on the train(s) from Stockholm to Amsterdam who I later bumped into—completely by accident—in Tel Aviv? Well, my world has since become even smaller than that. In Stockholm (what is with that town?!?) I met another person I would see again thousands of miles away. Striking up a conversation in the hostel kitchen, I was wearing the T-shirt I got at the Chapman University 5K run from last Fall (it is a superlight fabric and therefore great for traveling) and someone said, “Chapman? My girlfriend is starting school there next year!” It turns out he lives in LA. Pretty cool, but not a total small world moment, as the school is home to thousands of students. However, two months later I found myself standing in line next to this guy, on the only day of the summer that he was visiting Chapman University to attend the orientation that the law school puts on for family and loved ones of new law students, of which there were only 150 this year (his girlfriend being one of them), and I was one of only about 50 current students who were at school that day, as it was before classes had started. This is cool stuff, and awesomely weird.
There's one more: in the hostel in Budapest, there was but one other American staying there. Where does he live? Orange, California. Home of Chapman University School of Law.
I’m wondering if next I’m going to bump into someone I know from Israel while walking down the street in Newport Beach.
Sewer story: I forgot to mention in my accounting of Budapest that that city was the only place I’ve been where you can actually smell the sludge fermenting in the depths when you walk past a sewer grate on the street. Like, pretty much every one of them. And "sludge" is a euphemism.
Irony, not stereotyping, honest!: and then another random observation I made (please, please, they joke about this on The Office, so surely it’s okay for me to mention, right?): no matter what country I was in, certain . . . shall we say, “Eastern looking” . . . peoples with reputations for being slightly . . . “less than efficient” drivers . . . and even pedestrians . . . shared a similar manner of seeming . . . oblivious . . . to other traffic.
Thus ends this blog.
Be blessed, be well, and be in touch!!
Love and Happy Trails,
Lukey
PS - enjoy some utterly random photos from my summer!
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| The ultimate Summer of 2011 souvenir pin. It looks as old as I am. What an amazing find! |
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| This is on a Norwegian ferry. Because everyone wears cleats when they traverse a fjord by car. |
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| Stockholm. Apparently, even Swedish katts are vicious and require warnings. I'll probably meet this katt somewhere. Such is my track record with Stockholm residents. |
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| This is just a blurry close-up shot of my gorgeous Norwegian rain jacket. It looks half as blue in this picture as it does in real life. Seriously. |
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| You know you're not in Kansas anymore when the road sign says . . . |
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| So you know, it Norwegian; it means "end". It was the end of the road. |
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| Those Norwegians know how to make a strawberry-mint smoothie. Doesn't it look delicious! And just look at that beautiful language! |
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| Swiss postcard moment. Unless it was a Norwegian postcard moment. Hmm . . . should have been labeling those pictures better . . . |
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| Swedish postcard moment. Far too flat to be Norway. |
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| Masada postcard moment |
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| Norwegian comedy moment |
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| European moment. Swiss train, Brazilian neighbor, on the way to Italy. He spoke German. |
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| The color of Norway |
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| That scent is my kryptonite, how about you? |
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| Look at their mouths. Too funny. |
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| One of my favorite Tel Aviv buildings. It's just fun. |
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| The door is a menorah! |
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| Tel Aviv, when Josh and I were out for a run. |
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| Same |
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| And again. This is in the old city of Jaffa, as were the previous two shots. |
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| Yellow blossoms . . . |
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| . . . make for lovely photos. |
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| At Yad VaShem, the holocaust museum in Jerusalem. A library consisting of binder upon binder upon binder full of names of innocent victims :( |
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| It's just a sidewalk cafe, for sure. But can I find this at home? Sigh . . . I was born on the wrong side of the Atlantic. |
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| GPOY!! |
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| Tel Aviv is funny. It looks like a big city full of skyscrapers. But further examination shows that most of the skyscrapers are on the beach only. Give it time. |
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| Scale model of Jerusalem back in the day. |
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| Unique art found at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem |
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| Ancient weapons, including a spear tip and slingstones. Each stone is the size of a baseball. I will never read the story of David and Goliath the same way again. |
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| In the park in Jerusalem near many important buildings including the Knesset (parliament). Armed soldier, two police on horseback, two more armed soldiers in the distance. This photo fails to show the multitude of armed folks I'd already walked past before taking this picture. No trouble in that neighborhood. |
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| Jerusalem. |
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| Bergen on a clear day. Picture stolen, I mean borrowed, from one of the Bergen law students' facebook page. |
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| It's hard to be humble when you have ancestors who flew this flag | |
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| Heath stole a picture of the two of us and I never knew until he sent me a copy. That guy is a ninja. |
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| More ninja work. Josh is apparently onto Heath's stealthy ways. |
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| Random shot on a random train. Tired, but so happy to be traveling. Thus was my summer. |
