Thanks to everyone who is still following my blog! Due to finals, papers, and the general crazyness of life, I have been unable to put a post up in the last few months. Now that summer has come and I have settled in back in Eau Claire, I plan to be a pretty frequent blogger, and you can count on that!
Coming back to the ol' EC has really been something. Seeing all the places I had spent so much time at: Starbucks on Hastings, Mt. Simon, Valleybrook, Acoustic Cafe, The Living Room, etc has given me this deep sense of being home. I feel like a fish back in the water after a semester away on dry land. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Minneapolis. There's just something that can't be replaced by the feeling you get coming home.
Originally, I didn't have plans for the summer. That didn't last long. As of now, I'm working (hopefully two jobs), doing an internship-y thing at my home church, as well as taking a couple of weeks out of the summer to play some guitar at a few kids camps across the midwest. I just got back from a road trip from the East Coast all the way back to Eau Claire. It isn't even June yet, and I already have a feeling I'll be asking myself where this summer went before it was even here.
As busy as this summer is looking, I still have some aspirations for what I want to do this summer. One of those things is spend as much time with my friends and family as possible. I miss them so much during the year, so I plan on getting as much of them as possible. Another is to read new book each week. After week one, I am pleased to announce that I am on schedule! Another goal was to take a roadtrip, but that one is already crossed out.
In the midst of all of this, there is one thing I think I am in anticipation for more than anything: the new Bon Iver album. This guy, also an Eau Claire native, has written some of the best music that there is. If you haven't heard of them, seriously, look them up. They announced their new single on Twitter today, and simply listening to them inspires me. It gives me hope in what I already know: that there is more out there for me than Eau Claire. Someone rising to this much recognition coming from Eau Claire is kind of unheard of, and seeing them do it makes me know that I can too.
The fame isn't even what it is all about. I don't care if I ever become famous.It's definitely not about Eau Claire either. Through the last few years of going away to college I have learned that even if I never end up living in Eau Claire again, I will NEVER forget where I come from. There is a special place in my heart for the town where I became who I am today, and that cannot be replaced. With that said, I know that there is more for me out there. Whether it be people I meet, oppourtunities I recieve, or just being away in a new place, I know that there is a chapter of my life story that doesn't take place in Eau Claire.
This can be a scary thing. I know that many people do not leave the town for this reason. As great of a place as your hometown is, its a shame to stay in its comfort when you feel your heart telling you to go elsewhere. I agree with Erwin McManus, in that I beleve God created us with an intrinsic need to know, to ask questions, to wonder "why?". That's why humans have always been searching. Since the beginning of the human story, since the beginning of your life, you have been searching for something. Whether that be the meaning of life, or which of your regular coffee shops your going to visit the next day, you should never ignore that need to explore.
And that brings me to the beginning of this summer. A summer of Aspirations, Vacations, and Bon Iver. In the absense of a computer for two weeks, I have begun to write down some of my thoughts on paper, and I am hoping to put them up here at least once a week. Thank you for staying faithful to this blog in the long drought of writing in the last few months. I assure you, the drought is over.
-Clark
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