Usually I don’t like Starbucks but…

For all of those who have lived in dorms, had roommates, or have experienced any variation of living with peers 24/7 you know how frustrating it can sometimes be. Especially if your room consists of four very uncomfortable cots, sheets as a wall, and dresser space as the floor. Therefore in reference to the title of my post, I LOVE Starbucks right now. For the Midwesterners reading this, I’ve always been a proclaimed Caribou snob. However, the Starbucks I’m currently at leaves me with small room for pickiness considering it is the SOLE coffee shop in Texas. In addition to that, it provides me with solid internet access and some much needed quiet/alone time.  I really shouldn’t be complaining because in all honesty the past few days have been heaven compared to the 15 hour ones we’ve been putting in lately. Though I was bummed to be spending Thanksgiving away from my family, for the first time ever, the church we are volunteering with made us a wonderful turkey day lunch that my team and I greatly enjoyed. Also, being away from my family made me truly realize how lucky I was to have them, as well as how much they mean to me. While I love being away from home and seeing new places, part of my heart will always lie in Batavia and the people I love. Cheesy much? Perhaps. But it’s true. Lately all of this reminiscing has led me to put some deep thought into what I want to do next year. So many opportunities have presented themselves, conservation in the Amazon, couch surfing in Europe, and I’m still only into my second month. Then there’s always college, the ever present factor on my mind. Is it so bad that I don’t want to tie myself down yet? I still want to see and do so much in the world, and for some reason I have a fear that once I go to college and graduate I’ll end up stuck somewhere. I can’t really define why I feel this way, I guess I’ve just seen it happen to others. I’ve been reading a book lately called The Essential Transcendentalists that really emphasizes self reflection. One of my (so far) favorite passages spoke of directing your eye inward and thus finding a thousand regions in your mind to travel and become an expert in. I’ve found that by doing this I sometimes end up with more questions than answers. Questions such as these are truly influencing me to ponder what avenues I will end up exploring in the coming years.