I'm not so sure how I felt about it yet. Not that it was bad or anything, but I'm just not sure how the questions asked could lead to a better understanding of an individual. It seemed to me that questions that were asked only dealt with a couple of issues. Mostly gender, weight, and scared issues. But than again, I guess the experiments that I did this for will probably deal with those issues. I really don't know why I tried to do that survey right when I got up this morning, I just about fell asleep on the keyboard, but that's alright, I finally got through it. after it frizzed up on me 4 times. That was a little frustrating. There is something else that's really bothering me right now also. Nothing to do with school, but socially. I live in California, and hate to say it, but I am a pretty stereotypical Californian kid. I mention this because I have this burning passion for the ocean. Even most people who live in California don't feel as deeply about it as I do. I knew it was going to be hard to leave the ocean when I came to school, but I didn't want to shut myself off from new opportunities and experiences by staying close to the water. Well anyway, I really miss the ocean. Every night I try to picture the crashing waves, and feel the cool mist on an earl morning. When I walk to class I even feel it in my feet and legs. Just on their own my legs begin to surf. The same muscle motions, I guess they call it muscle memory. I can feel myself cutting up the face of a racing wave and slashing the hell out of the lip. Or just grabbing the rail of my board on a meaty left, stalling, and hear the swirl of the water and air in the tube. That's all I live for. or lived for. Texas seems to have stopped my love for a little while. No I take that back, nothing can stop my love for it, I guess Texas just got in the way for a little while. That's where my problem comes up socially. I now realize that if you're not in California, or any beach community for that matter, people just don't understand. I feel like people just view me as some tan kid that dresses a little funny, and claims he does this thing called surfing. Like I said, the perfect stereotype. I guess I wouldn't mind being a poster boy, if kids just knew how I felt. How the ocean just pulls you in, and won't let go. It's a way of life, not just a social activity. It's a culture, and it's become who I am. Not just surfing. I love it but that is only one small facet of why I love the ocean. I just fall asleep every night dreaming of all the good times I've had there. Whether it be piling into one of my friends cars at 600 in the morning for a dawn patrol session without anybody else in the water. Skateboarding down the boardwalk, trying to race the waves as they peel away. Just sitting on the sand with my good friends, talking about anything and everything at the same time. or going there alone, at night to just erase all the thoughts and bad things that happened that day, week, month , or even year. The ocean can do all of that. But people don't seem to realize that. I love Texas, well I don't know if I love Texas. but I definitely love UT, it's just that I have to sacrifice so much more that I realized that I would have to do. I came here and had to leave the biggest, most passionate part of me back home. That's hard for anyone to do regardless of what it might be. It's not that I feel like I'm viewed as an outsider here. more of a novelty, or attraction actually. But I just wish people would have the same opportunities as I did, or have. I want them to fall in love as I did. But that's impossible if you stay in Texas for a lifetime. Come to think of it, I really haven't even talked to many of my friends from back home, I think I'm going to do that today. I've been so focused on making a home for myself here, that I lost sight of the one back in SD. I'm going to make a promise to myself that I will never lose touch of what I left back home, or the people that I left. Just tuck them away as memories, fond memories as I continue to grow, and add to those memories here.