Gå med i Last.fm eller logga in för att hojta hos highfidelity-.
-
Barilko
I've never been to Portland but am visiting friends there in a few weeks - I'm very excited about it! I'm also hitting Austin City Limits in the fall, so that should give me my lifetime quota of Texas. I need to get to San Francisco and Boston at some point, but otherwise I've visited most of my must-see US. Though, like you, I'd love to spend more time in the National Parks & Forests. I want to travel around Canada a bit more (Vancouver, Toronto, and Quebec City) since the drive up here was pretty fast and barren. I haven't been outside of North America, so that's another list I haven't even thought about because anywhere would be an adventure for me. How are you spending your summer? Do you have any trips or vacations planned?
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
I'm sure Tennessee must have some beautiful parks near the Smoky Mountains. I was the same as you growing up - most of my family trips were to visit family or more historical districts and museums. We had a trip to Colorado/Utah/New Mexico and one to Maine/New Brunswick that were a bit more outdoorsy, but my mom and brother aren't big fans of camping. I always wished we would have done it more, which is part of the reason I took the internship in northern California and job here in Alaska. I don't travel outside Alaska much since it's so expensive to get anywhere from here, but there's so much to see in the state and I'll probably never get through the list of places to explore. I think you'd love it if you ever get the chance to visit. Are there other places you want to travel?
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
I had only hiked and camped before I got up here, but backpacking in Denali was just an amazing experience. The park is enormous, yet there's only one road going through it, which is gated after a certain point and only open to tour buses. You meet with a ranger, they tell you how not to get mauled by bears and wolves, and then you're on your own. Last year, friends and I just picked a river and followed it until we got tired. Woke up the next day for breakfast with a herd of 15 caribou walking maybe 100 feet from our tents. It was an absolutely awe-inspiring experience. Just imagine your deer, multiply it by 15, and put yourself 10 miles outside of all human contact. Are you from Ohio? Or have you done any traveling?
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
Thanks! The bear pictures were taken on a bus tour of Denali National Park, so there was definitely no danger involved. I don't take many photos, but we also saw Dall sheep and moose on the bus and porpoises, otters, sea lions, bald eagles and other birds on the cruise. Moose are the only animal that roam around town, but outside of that, there's nothing dangerous unless you're on a backpacking trip. It's absolutely worth it to take a trip. It probably goes without saying, but it's completely different from the rest of the United States.
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
Well good luck with it, it sounds like you'll have fun (if that's possible) and do a great job on it. Obviously you're passionate about it and know your stuff! Since I clearly have no hope of keeping up with you on that line of conversation, I'm going to change it abruptly. If I remember correctly we were chatting about Alaska and wildlife last year. In case you're still interested, here's a link to photos (some better than others) from my parents' visit last June: https://plus.google.com/photos/116523422573782397829/albums/5789018807248914081?authkey=CPavzNy3uKKeugE
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
Seriously, that's great. If I were the kind of person who read English theses for fun, I'd make a point to read that. I'm not; but if I were, I would. I've only read Revolutionary Road out of those four, but I think your point about it is interesting. The McCarthy novels I've read seem to always focus on the juxtaposition between characters and environment, one being tumultuous and the other steady, but both barren in one way or another. I guess I haven't considered Revolutionary Road consciously from a post-war frame, but certainly I can see how the suburban calm at the center of the novel and the characters' inability to reconcile with it represents that stark shift.
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
Okay, addendum that actually advances conversation: What do you feel the increase in violence in these novels over time represents? A change in literature in isolation, a change in the literary consumers (e.g., a growing acculturation to overt violence), or a change in the greater American culture (e.g., widening class divides, increase in actual violence)? Or if the last thing you want to think about over your final summer of college is the thesis you will dread for the next year, just ignore that completely.
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
That. Sounds. Awesome. The cursor has just been blinking at me for minutes, because that concept is so interesting that I don't know what else to say. I can't even find the right words to compliment it without sounding like either your thesis advisor or someone madly nerdcrushing on you.
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
Storms are actually something I really miss from the Midwest. We get little bursts of rain, but no thunder and lightning. Maybe I'm just strange, though. My brother and I were always the kids that would run outside when the tornado sirens went off. You'll be so thankful for a lighter senior year; I know I was. Do you know the topic of your thesis yet?
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
Good! I thought you would between her voice and the electronic backing - and she's only 16! Alaska's great. We had a long, wet, cold winter and spring, but it's finally that perfect summer: reading in the midnight sun, biking to work, canoeing on the weekends. It's hard to complain. How are things for you? One more year at Otterbein?
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
Yeah, journalism turned out to be a lot more political and underhanded than I expected, so I turned to education for something a bit more rewarding. I turned my degree towards PR and marketing and have used those skills quite a bit though, so you can't go wrong with your concentration! And you're right, you have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do after college. I'd definitely look into a summer internship on the west coast though; it was a great experience for me to get outside my comfort zone. Anyway, good luck with final exams and projects! Keep rocking the great tunes and feel free to get in touch any time.
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
I work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and coordinate the orientation programs for new students (and supervise the student graphics department and chair a sustainability committee and a few other smaller things). I was in journalism at my undergrad but had a falling out with it, and liked the direct interaction of helping and working with students. My masters degree is in College Student Personnel, which most people think I made up. Alaska is very beautiful, and it's so large that the landscape, wildlife, and weather is diverse depending on the region. Now that it's warming up, I'm looking forward to hiking and camping this summer. I haven't spent long in Seattle but liked what I've seen! I've heard Portland is amazing; might be another option for you! And idea what you'd like to do after graduation? And how far away is that?
Åtgärder
-
Barilko
I've been through North Canton and know a bit about Otterbein, but can't say I'm too familiar with either! What are you studying and what are you involved in at Otterbein? Ha, Alaska is definitely different. Like I said I grew up in Iowa and went to grad school in Ohio, so I was really looking for something different to try for a few years. I spent a summer in the Bronx and another in northern California, and Alaska is perfect for my first full-time job. It's midnight and it's just now getting dark, so without a doubt the summers are fantastic. Winters are harsh, but there are events and activities you couldn't find anywhere else: dog mushing, ice climbing, ice sculpting, curling, perfect ski conditions. Certainly can't complain!
Åtgärder