Thursday, September 04, 2008

Looking Out For Pa Ingalls and Half-Pint


I’m a city girl through and through hiking is something done for fun not for survival and certainly not in the quest for an education. Yeah, yeah I’ve heard elderly people talk about how in their day they had to walk 20 miles to the school, uphill (both ways)…in the pouring rain…snow storm…sand storm…(take your pick) looking out for bears… yetis… wild boars… chupa cabras (again take your pick) all in the name of getting an education. Today’s youth has it so easy they always say. All my life I have walked a few blocks or ridden New York City’s mass transit system to get me to school yeah I must admit I’ve had it easy. It seems those days are coming to an end this semester.


My academic advisor has deemed it necessary for me to take a research class despite the fact that I took the class when I got my first BA. “I’m sure you’ll have to take it again when you go to grad school next year so it’s better if you do it here instead.” she informed me. The class is not offered on the Bronx campus, or on the Manhattan campus oh no, no why make it easy for the urban dwelling students? The class is offered at night on the main campus in Dobbs Fairy, NY which is exactly 2 hours and 15 minutes away from my home, and 2 hours and 45 minutes from my internship. I know I did a test run yesterday. “It’s only a short walk from the train to the campus.” She’d said. The woman is a goddamn liar makes me wonder what else she’s been lying to me about. So help me Mary Poppins if I have to take this damn class again in grad school I’m coming after her with a shovel sized spoonful of sugar and ramming it up her ass.

Taking my car is not a viable option my internship is in Manhattan a residential area with no parking or parking lots. Unless I can fold my Holy Monkeymobile origami style and put it in my bag the car has to stay home and I’m going to have to use the mass transit system to get to my evening class. Luckily my father has informed me that he’ll pick me up from class. Gosh I love that man!

As I was saying I did a test run yesterday my friend Monica came along because she’s going to have to make the trek up there during the winter semester. Obviously my advisor and I have different concepts as to what constitutes a short walk. The campus was a mile away from the station mostly uphill. The campus is beautiful surrounded my mountains and lots and lots of majestic trees. I’m sure there was a babbling brook somewhere. As soon as we arrived Monica’s chest tingled, “The air feels funny here” she said. “It’s clean air. You’ll get used to it.” I replied.


Once we reached the campus we took a look at the “you are here” sign and studied the map below it. I took a sip from my water bottled and informed Monica that our class was located more or less in the center of the campus. We hiked for about 20 minutes before we reached our destination. Yeah I said hiked we were walking on a trails populated with nothing but trees and shrubbery which then morph into a dirt path through the college campus. I also noticed that there weren’t that many lamp posts on the trail. I told Monica that we definitely needed to invest in some flash lights seeing how it got dark earlier in the winter, better safe than sorry. Several feet ahead of us we were spotted by a professor walking across campus. “Good morning ladies,” he called out welcome back to school!” “Good morning sir and thank you!” I called back as I waved. “Do you know him?” Monica asked. “Nope but for all we know he might be one of our teachers.” “Morning!” Monica shouted over her shoulder.

“Mia I think we’re lost."“No we’re not the directions were easy. Walk straight on the trail to the end. That’s what we did.” “I don’t see any buildings. So where is our class room?” she asked. My eyes swept the area and I laughed. She was right there were no buildings instead there was what appeared to be a school house several feet from us. I read the sign on the house and pointed to it.“There’s our class.” “That’s a house!” she said as she followed me. “Nope it’s our class room.” Monica stood in front of our class shaking her head incredulously as I continued my visual sweep of the area. I cupped my hand over my eyebrows and craned my neck as if I were looking for something on the horizon. “What are you doing?” she asked. “ Looking out for Pa Ingalls and half-pint” I replied.

Labels: school

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