Squirrels and the First Day of Classes

I have now had my first day of classes as a graduate student. Everyone stand up and cheer, because the new girl in town is really glad today is over. There is nothing like walking into a classroom full of people you don't know to throw you back into those nasty childhood years filled with infantile angsting and crippling self-doubt.

Can everyone hear my enthusiasm?

The first class went well (Biological Anthropology) and I'm very glad I took an in-depth course in Paleoanthropology last semester. The second class (Conservation I) was a little more difficult as there was a large group of people standing around the door when I arrived. Oh my god, I really thought I was going to die. It was just like getting on the school bus and not having anyone to sit with and feeling as small as a chewed up, spit out gumball. The class itself wasn't bad, because I didn't have to make an effort to talk to anyone when the professor was monopolizing our attention.

There have been a few times during the past few weeks where I've wondered what in the h--- was I thinking? More school? In a new institution? Where I don't know anyone? Why didn't I just go out and get a job?!

And then I remember.

I can't actually get a job that would let me support myself in my career with just a BA. And...eating is a good thing, so I grumble, take a deep breath, and go to my next class/function.

So, I've been settling into Bryan/A&M pretty well. There are some, shall we say, cultural differences between East Tennessee and Texas. For one thing, everyone eats really spicy food here. That's not actually a bad thing in my opinion. I'm all for dumping Tabasco sauce all over my french fries and snarfing down fried jalapeno peppers. I probably shouldn't be as excited about the spices as I am, considering that I practically have my Gastroenterologist on speed dial after this summer. Ulcers are a pain in the ass. Or abdomen. Whatever.

Another interesting difference between TN and TX is that the squirrels have collars. I was walking to my first class today and noticed one of the little buggers under an oak tree. It caught my attention because I was only about a foot away from him and all he did was turn and look at me. Then I saw that he had a collar on. Not only did he have a collar on, he had a collar with radio transmitters on it.

For some reason this struck me as incredibly amusing.

Squirrels. With radio transmitters. Just where in the world have I ended up? Texas is a very different world.