Observations . . .

Being new has afforded me one of my favorite pastimes, people watching. When I travel by myself, it's my favorite thing to do. I watch those around me and without engaging in conversation. I sit back and take in everything around me. As I have been building community here at Princeton, I've been able to do a lot of watching - not just of people but really of the environment as a whole, of the people with whom I've connected, and of me. And here are just a handful of observations I have acquired thus far

• This place is seriously competitive. People are working really hard for their grades. And this strange for me. I used to be the one of the few like this (and I played it down all the time). Here I am surrounded by my people. It's comforting and unsettling at the same time. I feel at home in conversations yet keenly aware that I don't have the market on book smarts - not by a long shot.
• Most of the students here do not want to be pastors. Now this really surprises me. I would say that the majority of conversations I have are with students who want to be in Academia for the long haul (ThM, PhD, etc, etc, etc)***. Or they are here 'figuring things out.' Please don't mistake my ' ' for condescension or sarcasm. I think it's kind of amazing that so many young adults are searching for a spiritual community and theological inquiry. But it is surprising.
• I miss San Clemente Presbyterian. I really do. It's been hard for me to find a church here at Princeton. This is not at all a reflection on East Coast churches. It's just not home. For all the discussions we had about engagement of the community, I don't know if I ever realized just how engaged I was until I left. My best friends worshipped with me. My spiritual needs were being met.
  
• However, there are some exciting opportunities ahead. Starting this Sunday, I'm on a mission to find my 'Field Education' site for next year. I have a list of five churches that should be a good fit for my needs and my growth objectives.

• I have finally fulfilled by my life long dream of becoming a server. Laugh if you must but I am actually really excited. I start next week at Cafe Teresa (a quaint, downtown Italian cafe). I will only work 15 hrs a week but I am very excited to
  

• a) be off campus for a while and
  
• b) hone my knowledge of wine.

Granted this is only a handful of observations/updates and certainly there will be more to come!

And . . . for Southern California friends and family: I will be home from November 16 - 24. I hope to see you then!



**I am actually considering both a ThM and PhD. However, I read the requirements online this evening. To be in the Princeton PhD program, you have to be reading proficient in 2 modern language. That means on top of Hebrew and Greek, I would need to take French and German . . . at some point. This is slightly overwhelming.