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 By Jack Lepiarz Nov. 5, 2006 I like to consider myself to be a very healthy person. I exercise regularly, I don't eat too much junk food, and I don't smoke. I rarely get sick, and I haven't had to go to the hospital for anything other than a check-up in about ten years. I even take daily vitamins to make But now I'm at college, and it's suddenly occurring to me that it's very difficult to eat right and stay in shape when many of the foods you took for granted back home--like carrots and lemon juice--are suddenly impossible to find. Last weekend, I spent roughly two hours wandering around Boston looking for lemon juice. It's harder than it sounds. For a long time, I couldn't understand why I was so tired, and why I was always feeling somewhat off-key. It wasn't that I was sick, I just wasn't feeling 100% healthy. After about a week or two of feeling this way, it occurred to me that I wasn't eating properly. So, I started eating more vegetables, getting more salt, and now I feel much healthier--although I'm still not where I'd like to be. Another problem I've run into here at college is the lack of privacy. I am, by nature, a very private person and I'm big on getting personal space. A lot of people find that hard to believe, given my very sociable personality, but I cherish time when I can be alone and do my own thing. Whether it's writing an article for U-K, or simply driving around in my car, having privacy is something I cannot wait to get back to when I visit home again. Overall, I would consider my college transition to be relatively smooth--with occasional rough patches here and there. For example, the day before classes when I became very sick and, for the first time in a long time, had to spend the day in bed. I've had moments of sheer joy, and I've also had moments of complete frustration--usually when people run by my door in the middle of the night yelling and screaming while I'm trying to sleep. That's when I turn homicidal. But the biggest thing I've noticed about college is how it's affected my outlook on life--particularly on politics. I came from a very conservative high school where I hated everyone and now I've come to one of the most liberal colleges in America, in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, and I'm almost tempted to become a Republican just so I can hear something different. Not that my views have changed in any real sense. I still consider myself a liberal on nearly every single issue, but at the same time, I really hate extreme liberalism (or conservatism for that matter). It's actually quite refreshing to see that there are people who are more liberal than me, but it's also very frustrating that I only hear the liberal point of view. The irony of the situation is that even though I hated every conservative back in high school, one of the people that I find the most interesting and easiest to relate with happens to be a conservative. And I don't know if that's because we simply relate well, but I do know that it's refreshing to hear something other than "impeach Bush." Of course, that doesn't mean that I'm any less liberal than I was when I was back in high school, I simply hate to see only one viewpoint represented constantly. How that will manifest itself over the course of my time at Emerson College, I cannot predict, but with any luck, I'll be able to get proper nutrition, stay in shape, and most of all, keep my sanity. ------------ About the author: Jack Lepiarz is an 18-year-old college student at Emerson College in Boston. He also co-hosts the Katherine and Jack Show on UthTV.com and has been performing various circus talents for the past several years. Though often described as stubborn and egotistical, he tries to keep an open mind and treat others the way he would like to be treated. Email: Jackwuzhere42@aol.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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