There's No Place like School

Yep, I'm back! It's been awhile, but with all the crazy things going on in the world, especially after what's happened this pass summer (i.e. major celebrity deaths, (in)famous professional quarterbacks on new teams in a split second, etc...), I felt maybe it would be a good idea to gather some thoughts on more subjects as they eventually happen and express my mind about them as well as other random happenings in my wonderfully unique life. So with that, I welcome you to the continuation of my blog. Let's jump right into the mix.

A couple weeks ago I was asked to write an article for the KOACH e-zine, which is released monthly (on the Jewish calendar, of course) from KOACH every Rosh Chodesh. Each issue focuses on different subjects that have a have significant connection to Judaism in general. This issue's theme happened to be 'Back to School,' so when a friend of mine asked me to write an article on it, I had to jump at the opportunity especially with the thought of returning to Bloomington, Indiana to reunite with some great friends in anticipation of an action-packed semester fresh in my mind. There's something magical about going back to a place so familiar such as the IU campus and the college town all around it. So with all the anticipation of getting back to everything while gearing up for my third year at Indiana University, I think I pounded out a pretty solid article.

See above at the top of the last paragraph for the link. Otherwise, I cross-posted it here if you're lazy. Enjoy!

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When I think of the words "back to school," these are the first thoughts that pop into my mind: the movies Billy Madison and Garden State and my general surroundings of my Jewish community.

First, there's the obvious: In the movie Billy Madison,there's an almost iconic scene where Adam Sandler's titular character, Billy, sings naively about going back to school as he starts school entirely over from the first grade, before the bus he intends to get on drives right past him.

"Back to school, back to school, to prove to dad that I'm not a fool. I've got my lunch packed up, my shoes tied tight. I hope I don't get in a fight. Oh, back to school…"

Although hilarious, that scene really speaks to me. Starting a new year off at school is a big deal. There are always major expectations that are set for the year, as well as tons of first impressions to make week in and week out of college. And that's just one year. The main idea here is to be yourself and work hard at what you pursue academically as well as socially. For better or for worse, you may not end up like Billy Madison, but you'll make an incredible amount of progress as a person, and that's what counts.

When making a transition from summer to school, no matter where you live, there will always be some, if not a lot, traveling and schlepping things around, so much so that you truly don't know where you belong anymore. That's where my important connection to Garden State comes in. While I was in high school, some of my older friends were infatuated with this movie because of their emotional connection to some of its main characters and their memorable quotes. Now, after seeing the movie a couple times with family and friends, I can understand why. There's an important quote uttered by protagonist Andrew Largemen (portrayed by Zach Braff) that I, along with a lot of my friends, can deeply relate to when making a transition from the summer home or away to going back to school.

"You know that point in your life when you realize the house you grew up in isn't really your home anymore? All of the sudden, that idea of home is gone. It just sort of happens one day and it's gone. You feel like you can never get it back. It's like you feel homesick for a place that doesn't even exist. Maybe it's like this rite of passage, you know. You won't ever have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start; it's like a cycle or something. I don't know, but I miss the idea of it, you know. Maybe that's all family really is: a group of people that miss the same imaginary place."

I think that feeling really hits home when we graduate and get ready for other things in life such as college, grad school or a yearlong trip anywhere. When I was with my friends on Nativ, a lot of us shared that same feeling of missing home, wherever it was, even if it didn't really exist anymore. The fact was plain and simple: we were never really going back home because we were starting to move on. It was depressing, but it was also comforting to know that none of us were alone. And the beat goes on. Even today, I get messages and status updates on Facebook and Twitter from friends explaining how much they miss everything in my college town. And I know I feel the exact same way when summer is starting to wind down. To me, on the greater scale, that's family.

And of course, there's the Jewish community. I am currently winding down my fourth summer on staff at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, where I was also a camper for four years. Since my last year as a camper, I've learned about the incredible importance of Jewish community, and it has stuck with me ever since. Throughout my time at Indiana University, I have become more and more involved with Hillel on campus and the Jewish community in Bloomington. That, along with my own circle of Jewish friends, helps create a new sense of home for me, as well as them. And I'm hopeful that that sense will continue very far into the future. That, in its truest essence, is family.

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That's all from me for now. I'll be back with more relevant things to write about hopefully soon. An exciting year awaits us, and who knows what will happen? We'll just have to see and enjoy the ride.