Contemplating the future
At a Christmas party over winter break, I experienced an event familiar to many students who encounter an old friend or acquaintance in their hometowns. Voila, the high school straightjacket 4.2 GPA good boy everyone recalled as the attractive, charismatic over-achiever, sitting in front of me with scraggly long hair and a ski hat. His porcupine stubble chin failed to detract from his lively statement as he recalled to me his adventures traveling in his truck "up and down California" as an enlightened nomad. This wanderer recently graduated with Physics and Philosophy degrees from Stanford, so I felt this sense of awe and intrigue that someone could outright forsake "the system" for an unpredictable journey around the country. A "Fight Club" sensation permeated my bones, as I thought in a moment I'd be outside beating myself up. I mean, this guy was like my alter ego.