It feels like just last week I wrote my first blog for September. The time is quickly flying by in this Fellows program. I think of 9 months as a very long time but already feel how we are already done with 2 months of that. I worry that before I know it, we’ll be in May. I think that means I am really enjoying my time and living it to the fullest. Even though I have felt more tired this month I have really tried to continue to do or participate in as much as possible. I have continued to grow closer to my host family, the Patels. Tuesday night dinners have been such a great change of pace each week. Also, everyone needs to see Alpesh in his Joe Exotic costume. I have also enjoyed all of our roundtables this month and the discussions we have had. We have had some deeper discussions that I really appreciated. I don’t think I would be so comfortable with these conversations even if they had happened just a couple months ago. As I have grown to know everyone and be closer with the group I kind of enjoy the conversations and appreciate them more. Another conversation we had with Edward, our New Testament teacher, was about Faith and Politics. I really enjoyed it. It was so great to hear with how turbulent and toxic the political climate has been I am so ready for the political ads to be over. I have also enjoyed my time with Raleigh friends. I have gotten to see my friends I grew up with, David and Hunter. We had dinner and just caught up on everything happening in our lives. My friends Will and Laura got engaged earlier this month. I got to see them (and Wanda) that night for their engagement party. It was great to see the pure happiness they both had about it. I got a taste of the fair one weekend when we went to get food. It was not the same as it normally is but better than not having it at all. October was great but I think the best time I had was Halloween night when most of the Fellows just came to the guys house and we sat around the fire. We talked for hours, taking turns on the hot seat and getting asked questions by the rest of the group. Maybe it was the fire but I just really enjoyed hearing everyone talk and answering some questions about myself. Then we watched About Time and it was a bit more emotional of a movie than I expected. In the movie, the protagonist can go back in time at any point he wants to potentially change his past. The protagonist uses this to help meet his wife and also to spend more time with his Dad (that part really hit me). At one point his Dad tells him how he could live each day twice, once for the genuine experience and then again to live it without worry. I want to live each day or week like that or just to seize each day. Even in the days that I just want to get home and go to sleep, I want to remember that this will be over so much sooner than I think. Don’t dwell on the insignificant stress and worry. I am so glad I am in this program and what it holds for me, I just want to ensure I enjoy every moment of it and not miss the little things that have so much beauty.
Trey Holsten