Shortly after the mysterious spy balloon from China was shot down near the coast of South Carolina in February 2023, I started this blog. I had recently returned from Tanzania where I had been volunteering with the Road2IR program (a terrific organization) which I have posted about separately. My glorious separation from USC had occured on December 31, 2022 and, after the Tanzania trip, I was determined to take some time off. My 8.5 months self-imposed (and -funded ) sabbatical was transformative (an overused word but an accurate one in this case) and I can't recommend it enough (also blogged about already). Back to CU, and here we are, three years later already.
(Side note: Haven't we covered all of this already? What's with the recap/regurgitation? Its because after going back to look at all these blog posts, I'm deathly afraid of inadvertantly repeating myself. Nothing says "this guy really has completely lost it" than watching someone repeat themselves over and over and over. I mean, the same blog post, again? Just take me out behind the barn and do what's gotta be done when I just keep telling the same stories over and over again)
Ok, so I'm also three years older and, frankly, maybe a tiny bit wiser, or at least I'd like to think. Looking back on the blog now, I have studiously resisted the urge to edit the content (although I admit that I've made some spelling and grammatical corrections); I am determined to let my blog speak for itself, even if some of my sentiments and thoughts sound dated or even a little cringey. The posts were written openly and as authentically as I was/am capable of. The truth is, it has very liberating to write a blog thinking that no one will ever read it. Its kind of like a private journal but there's a scary aspect to it: someone might actually read it. My delusion was heartlessly crushed this year when I had a couple of residency candidates tell me they had read my blog which caught me off guard. I was bit mortified initially, but then again, there might actually be some stuff in here that might be useful to someone getting started in this business.
I regret the fact that I didn't put a date on the postings. The interface I'm using is pretty rudimentary (I mean, what can you expect for $19/year?) and I don't think there's a way to go backwards and figure it out. For the sake of consistency, I will continue to omit a date, in a classic case of "I know its a mistake but I'm too stubborn to not keep making it." The barebones approach also leaves me in the dark with regard to how many, or how few, people visit the blog. But as I said before, I like writing while thinking that no one will ever read this. Until they do. Or don't. Whatevs, as the kids like to say.