New Year

If you don't care about my reading list (which I don't blame you for) just skip the first two paragraphs and begin at the third.

As part of my New Year's resolutions, I have decided to reread some of my favorite books that I haven't had the pleasure of reading for a while. I started two days ago, deciding to read The Chronicles of Narnia, which are perhaps my most favorite books. As evidence, I'm already part way through the second one (I'm reading them Narnia-history-chronologically, so that's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), and I am quickly rediscovering why I enjoy them so much. Every time I read them, I find more connections to Lewis' other books and more allusions to the Bible. And indeed, the end of each one of them is so beautiful. I won't discuss them now, because you may not have finished any or all of them (if so, put them at the top of your reading list!) and I don't want to ruin them, but they almost all end beautifully. Other's on my 'to reread' list are the Hobbit and LOTR, and possibly The Space Trilogy, maybe the Circle trilogy by Ted Dekker, and I'll probably end up reading The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters, too.

I also plan on reading for the first time The Cost of Discipleship (which I recently received for Christmas from AJ), and the prequel/sequel to the Circle Trilogy (weird I know), Green. I hope to read the books from Lewis' "signature" classics that I haven't already; Mere Christianity (how can I not have read that one, I know), Miracles (which I started once but had a hard time wading through, there's so much thought in each paragraph!), and The Problem of Pain. I also need to finish the GMac anthology that Trey lent to me, along with like a thousand other books that I've started and never finished.

In other news, I've all but decided to leave the Art Institute of Houston - North. I think most of you who read this have heard in some way or another, but I wanted to let you know what I'm thinking. First of all, I don't see me going to a college that isn't an Art Institute. Honestly, I've been far too spoiled by the lack of Gen. Ed. classes to switch back to taking math and english (which I pretty much have gotten all done with AP classes in high school to the ). I'll have to take a few history courses eventually, other than art history even, but I'm okay with that. I had originally considered checking out the art program at UT (which, if you know me, is hugely out of character, haha.) But in it you have to take something like 33 hours of Gen. Ed. classes and they don't really even have a specific Graphic Design program from what I can tell.

So, I will be staying with the Art Institutes. What's wrong with the one I'm at?

If you have asked me how I am liking school in the last few weeks, I have most likely told you that I am enjoying it a lot, which is true, but what I probably haven' told you is that I am not satisfied with the school I'm at. I love the subjects we're learning about (the adobe programs, color and design theory, drawing, etc.), but I don't think that I like the fact that my class is the pioneer class, as in, we are the first to take any of the classes, so we're the guinea pigs, we get all the failed methods. I'd prefer to be way down the line where we are the beneficiaries of the already refined teaching methods, if that makes sense.

So, this Art Institute leaves something to be desired, where will I transfer to?

There are two Art Institutes in my sights: The one downtown here, and the one in Austin. Basically, since the option recently came into sights to possibly find a place to live with Riley and JM (who are going to UT) in Austin, I'm majorly leaning towards that one, and if it works out, I will definitely go with that one. So the only way I would go with the one downtown is if it was for the quarter between this one and the one that starts in the summer. Otherwise, I will probably take the quarter after this one off and start at the Austin Art Institute in July.

The End.

What do you think?