Craziness!

I realize that I've only been away for a few days, but I want to apologize for not having kept up this blog better, because this has been such an important week! So much has happened!

Alright, I might be exaggerating a bit. As I mentioned in my last post, I have, in fact, started both of my classes as well as my internship, and there's lots to tell about all of those things. But beyond that, I've just had some clever ideas (well, I think that they're clever, at least - however, it will be for you to judge) for various postings and series to start. Many entries are in their ideological and/or editing stages, so be on the look-out!

Truly, the reason that I have been away is this:

ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL?!

No, I did not buy a replacement ukulele with UK plugs (joke...maybe you have to be here. Anyway.) It's a bit of a long story, but I'm borrowing it sporadically from Ollie, a guy at work. And I love him for it! (Pretty sure my flatmates hate him...and me now...I've probably played for a combined 7 hours in the past two days.) I have missed my uke more than I'd imagined. But fear not! My calluses are quickly returning, my nail polish is quickly chipping, and I've even learned "Loch Lomond" to get into the Scottish spirit.

So, that's what been taking up all of my would-be blogging time. Good thing I don't have much homework!

I'll be working on those blogs this weekend - but for now, I'm going to head to bed, because a group of us is visiting St. Andrews tomorrow! I will, of course, be reporting back on this matter.

LAUNCH

I have been quietly trying to build up my credentials for a few months now, setting the stage for an alternative to mass e-mails come August as well as a solid career leap and an outlet for all of my opinions that do not fit into the school newspaper. I feel that now, for a number of reasons, it is finally time to propel my blog into the public eye.

Perhaps most importantly, I will now be a member of the Free Spirit Network. A certain series of events really propelled me to this launch:

A newspaper article that I wrote for the teen section of the Charleston Gazette one year ago recently won First Place in the Personality Profile category of the Newspaper Association of America's Youth Content awards. That is a fun fact, but even more fun is the ensuing story: the original article was (apparently) reprinted in Saturday morning's Charleston paper. Since I don't subscribe, I was doubly surprised to receive an e-mail with a subject beginning "FSN: Emily Barksdale" (very exciting, as it is the first of its kind that I have received) from a Furman alumnus - not such a common occurrence in West Virginia - who was not only congratulating me on my achievement but making further relative connections.

What a small world! And it must have all been thanks to an Internet search pulling up my bio on the Free Spirit Network. How's THAT for networking?

Well, that's really all that I had to say. Feel free to comment, peruse past entries, subscribe, comment, tell your friends, comment - you know the drill.

Study A-Way

I'll be studying away next term.

Before I came to Furman, I always called it "study abroad." I guess that that is somewhat inaccurate, because our programs are not limited to those in foreign countries, but I will be in China. I think that that qualifies as "abroad." However, "Study A-Broad"..."Study a Broad"...it just doesn't come off quite so nicely, now, does it?

What does this blog even mean? you ask. What is its purpose? Well, I've considered starting a blog for a while now - I have had one off and on that I did not promote publicly, and when I applied and was turned down for a school blogging position last summer, I was bummed. When I was in New York City last week, I flipped through a book on blogging and considered buying it before I realized that I basically knew what to do already - so, I figured, why not?

I came up with the title because I feel as if it represents so much in my life right now. Yes, I'll be blogging primarily from China, but I see it as more than that, hence the dash: study a WAY of life - study people, study language, study society. I people watch; I've done it for years. I photograph, I observe. I study ways of LIVING - study a-way of everyday existence. Study success, study failure. Study growth. This blog is and will be an evolution.