So this fresh start gets to launch with a little bit of an introduction, oh Imaginary Reader. Which probably means I'll end up telling you more about who I want to be than who I actually am. I suppose we'll have to start with the facts, and go from there:
I live in the South. I almost escaped once, but somehow found my way back. I'm not entirely sure if this is significant, but I do know that I absolutely abhor the summers here. With as much verve as I can muster in this oppressive humidity.
I am a student, and I have been a student, in official capacities, for a little over two decades. I sincerely hope to never stop being a student, but eventually I would like to have other occupations, and not have to pay for it. I am currently working on my second baccalaureate, with my first being in linguistics.
This one is in aerospace engineering. This is significant, as it has become so integral to who I am and how I identify with the world around me. Linguistics was just a thing. I loved it, and still love it, but it didn't capture my essence, as it were. Engineering was very nearly the one that got away, if you'll pardon the romantic metaphor. Although, as I think about it, it's quite appropriate, as I find this pursuit more rewarding than I have found any romantic relationship (in the long run, at least). So far.
I'm on a design team that designs, builds, and launches a rocket with the NASA USLI competition every year. This past year we were one of three teams that was invited, and actually competed in the Level 2 portion of the competition, which launched to 10,000 feet and had to be recovered from a water landing. We successfully accomplished this with a beautiful 10'7" rocket that was built with a team that was very nearly entirely composed of new members. And it got the closest to the target altitude out of all the rockets! The launch was quite possibly the coolest thing I've done... ever! We launched from the NASA Wallops Launch Facility in Virginia (right next to Chincoteague, if anyone knows about Misty - my team thought I was crazy). I was so proud of this rocket, if you can't tell. I don't care what they say about pride: I helped build that.
I did spend my first two years of college at the United States Air Force Academy. It was simultaneously the best and the worst decision I ever made. So was leaving.
A year ago, I would have written something here about my cat... but I just can't bring myself to, now. I will say that I miss her terribly.
I'm not really interested in writing about my personal beliefs, or relational status, or exploring some philosophical maundering here. At least just yet. These may come at a later date, as I do occasionally have an opinion, and sometimes they just eat at me. I will say that I don't particularly care to hold an opinion simply because someone told me to, I'm not interested in maintaining the status quo for the sake of tradition, and I certainly won't do something that I feel is unjust or unethical. "Immoral" has very little meaning to me, as morality is mostly relative. To me, it's all about the ethics. In that sense, I am amoral, I suppose, but I'd like to think I'm still a good person.
Have you noticed, imaginary friend, that I like writing in sentence fragments? I find it helps to add emphasis. It's very easy to convey in speech, but much harder in writing.
I really think this introduction has gotten long enough, now. I did fairly well at sticking to simple facts about myself, for the most part. It doesn't matter anyways. Even if you weren't imaginary, I'm not doing this for you. "Know thyself," as Socrates said, so I will. And as I do, I will throw it into the void for others to know, whoever, wherever, and whenever they are, so that maybe knowing me can help them know themselves.
Or just me; you know, whatever.
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