a year in review. kinda.

It isn't that I haven't thought about writing. I have. I have thought about it a lot. I mean, I'm always on my computer, everyday for a likely average of two hours. In that time I proceed through the usual email then facebook then other email then last email then blogspot. Yes, yes, I always am checking blogspot. So, then, why am I never writing in blogspot?

It isn't that I haven't had anything to say. I do. I have a million and one little things to say about my day. And honestly, I really wish I had written in this blog, recorded the previous semester, and really got down and into it. But, I didn't.

And let me tell you, this last semester has been the semester.

No, seriously, the semester. And that's because everything is different.

The only way to get into this is by making a list. You know, it will chronologicate everything and help to organize what is sure to be a confusing year in review. But here we go.

But first, let me make do with saying that this summary will be nothing in comparison to what transpired in the last six months. I don't think I have ever laughed or cried or done all those other silly, human things so much in one bought of six months.

So, without further ado, here we go:
1. I moved into a two bedroom apartment off campus with a kid that I really knew nothing about besides the fact that he was/is the most genuinely nice human being that I have ever met. His name is Tom. He is from Pittsburgh. He is majoring in sculpture and on the MAT route to being a teacher. Honestly, and don't tell him that I told you, but he is the best person in the entire world. Hands down. Zero competition...okay, okay, maybe not the entire world, but, he is pretty great. And the best room mate, ever. We were both in the same sculptural forms class last semester (don't get me started on how I loathed that class), and, I don't know, I just went up to him and was like, 'Hey, you seem pretty cool. Are you looking for a room mate for next year.'

Yes, that's how it happened, give or take some dialogue. And let me tell you, this generally creeped out the friend base I had freshman year. They were all like, 'Hmmm...' and 'Uhmmmm...?' and 'Is that really a good idea?'

And my reply was, 'Well, you didn't offer to live with me, so 'eff it!'

That ramble was a bit of a detour. Back to the main point, I live in a two bedroom apartment in a rather old building called the Avalon. Fancy? Majestic? The pride of Baltimore City? Why yes, it is all those things, but that is mainly because I live there and not because the building is most likely not up to health and safety regulations. But whatever. I am more than in love with the place and how my apartment looks and that I have roof top access.

What's crazy is that I'm nineteen years of age and am living in my own apartment, paying utilities and buying groceries. Isn't that just, I don't know, wild? I mean, no, it isn't, because, you know, it is the 21st century, but when I first mentioned the idea of living off campus to my parents I seriously thought they were going to shit themselves. My mother went on this whole rant of, '...why would you ever need to live off campus...I lived on campus all four years...why would you ever need your own place...would it really be safe...there's no way it would be cheaper then living on campus...'

Eventually she realized that yes, the smart thing to do would be to get an apartment now and not have to struggle through the ordeal later as I would definitely be in Baltimore for the next three years of my life. And, really, it wasn't an ordeal at all because the first apartment I looked at is the one I'm living in now.

2. I adopted a kitten. My friend's cat, lovingly named New Kitty, was rapped by a stray back at her home in the suburbs of Maryland. By the time she moved back to Baltimore New Kitty was ready to explode with a litter of five glorious little puddles of kitten joy. She posted on facebook that she needed to get rid of them, I had a mice problem in the apartment (to which my landlord said, 'Just get a cat. Everybody in the building last year had a cat and there was never a mice problem then.'), and so I called her and said, 'YES YES YES YES YES LET ME COME AND SEE KITTENS!'

I first met Igor when he was three weeks old. He honestly looked like an alien. His eyes were big, blue and buggy, he had the largest forehead in all the land, he had a cleft nose and he couldn't walk correctly because he only had a little poof of a tail instead of a cat's tail (picture a bunny's tail).

He honestly looked like he had kitty down syndrome.

And that's why I adopted him. I told my friend that yes, he was the one I want and no I don't care that he's sick and no I don't want you to have to bring him to a shelter and yes I'll take care of him until he dies (which I thought would not take long because of the whole down syndrome thing).

Low and behold, Igor does not have down syndrome. Instead he is a rather charming cat that is both parts lion and rabbit. And I love him. Seriously, that cat is the love of my life. I am doomed to be a crazy cat person, which is fine, I guess.

Igor is now a bit over four months. He still doesn't have front teeth. He is still teething. He still has his claws. But, he is also a super chill cat that only acts up when he wants attention, which, right now, is all the time. But that's because he is only four months old. Duh.

3. I started my major. No matter how much you don't want to believe it as a freshman, sophomore year is extremely different then freshman year. Not only is it harder, it is more grounding in the way that is smacks you up side the head and screams, 'THIS IS YOUR MOTHA 'EFFING LIFE! DON'T 'EFF IT UP YOU WASTE OF SPACE, YOU!'

Yep, exactly like that. Totally different then the cushy hug that is freshman foundation year here at MICA.

So, last semester included:
Monday: Modernism and After - an art history class required for all students that begins with the study of Post-Impressionism and ends with Pop Art
& Intro to Creative Writing - exactly what it sounds with focus on poetry, memoir and fiction
Tuesday: Visual Journalism - a six hour class in which the class would travel to various parts of Baltimore and maintain sketchbooks that documented their travels, or whatever the professor wanted us to accomplish
Wednesday: Illustration I - the beginning of my major and so the basics of illustration, the class was conducted as, 'Here's a project, you have this much time to do it'
Thursday: Explored Stitch - a fibers studio elective that delved into the historical, cultural and technical aspects of every type of embroidery imaginable
Friday: Sacred Ritual Russia - an intellectual history that explored the context and nature of Russian folk and wonder tales

On top of this 18 credit semester was my continuation of my work study at the Media Resource Collection (the film and slides portion of MICA's Decker Library) as well as an internship with Anthropologie.

I want to repeat that I completed an internship with ANTRHO-FREAKIN'-POLOGIE!

If you don't know, but I bet you do, Anthropologie is one of the five stores under URBN Inc. Profiled as a retail store, '...catering to the fashionable, educated and creative woman of 30 to 45, we provide a unique product assortment that includes casual apparel and accessories, home furnishings and a diverse array of gifts and decorative items. Carefully designed and selected with an eye for craftsmanship and detail, our merchandise is offered in an inimitable environment, both online and in our stores.' taken from URBN Inc.

No, my internship was not a retail thing. Uh-Duh. The best thing about Anthropologie stores is their way of immersing their customer into a setting revolving around that season's collection. This is accomplished by creating, essentially, art installations throughout the store. My internship began in September and went on through December, so the priority from my start date on was Holiday. I was making Christmas crafts and decorations beginning in the end of September for a Thanksgiving due date.

I promise to get more in depth with this topic, as it not only is exciting, but also deserving of a review. It'd be good to go ahead and summarize my work and what I learned, and, you know, be an adult about the whole thing.

4. I made some new friends!

Yes, this is a category, and yes it is a big deal, because, yes, it was a goal for the semester. I learned that the million and one friends I took away with me freshman year were, you know, not actually friends, but some acquaintances that were all part of the circumstance of living in freshman dorms. And, friendship is a funny thing, especially at this age. Everything is growing and changing and overly emotional and I think that any nineteen year old is lucky to be able to maintain one strong friendship as well as them self, let alone a nice group of friends. But that's what I have, a nice, lovely group of friends that I can hug and gush to and about and you know, love and stuff.

With making new friends I have also realized that I don't like wasting my time around people that I know I will not be, well, not friends with, but that I know will not be of value in my life in any way possible. And yes, I realize that sounds like I like people to use them, but that's not what I mean to get at at all. It's just that life is so full with obligations to work and school and money making and adult becoming endeavors that I have a hard time justifying wasting time on people that don't deserve it.

Basically, what I mean to say is that I got really frustrated with the whole college partying thing this semester and more or less say it as a total waste of time. I thought that this year would be different, that by going out on weekends would allow me to meet cool and interesting and provoking people, but really it just gave me a headache the next day, which is neither cool or interesting or provoking. Through this I learned that I cannot depend on another person's indecision to create positive entertainment for myself. Which really means that everyone is really indecisive about how they want to spend their weekends and so waits until 11:30 on Friday and Saturday nights to see what everyone else is doing instead of just doing what they want. Point in case is myself. Instead of being a planner I was a follower for the most of the semester and just waited for someone to direct me to an event. This ended up being worthless.

I have made the resolution to spend my weekends wisely. I mean, I'm in Baltimore! Why the hell not!? I want to go to events and meet real people and laugh about things that I'm only pretending to understand and look at post-post modern art for the sole fact of cringing and listen to bad 'underground' music and see uber pretentious films. And I want to do these things because I want to know and be involved. Because that is how I have a good time.

5. I came home with $35 in my bank account.

Why am I ending on this note? Because it is a very defining thing for this year to come. After my own apartment, with utilities and a grocery bill and no time to make money because of 18 credits and an internship, I have come to realize that money is not only vital and necessary, but I like having it because I like being able to do things. The need to make money not only is defining that, 'Yes, Matthew, you do need a job!', but also has given me a super heightened awareness to the fact that I graduate in two and a half years time and must, you know, start being a real human being and stuff now if I want to survive later.

It's survival of the fittest, a dog eat dog world, a MY NAME IS MATTHEW BARRY AND I AM MORE THEN DETERMINED TO BE THE BEST POSSIBLE AT WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE AND REALIZE THAT IF THAT IS TO HAPPEN I MUST BE THE PROACTIVE PERSON NOW AND NOT LATER WHEN MOMMY AND DADDY AND MY DEGREE TELL ME TO BE. Yep, that's what it is.

I am so determined to make this semester baller, it's ridiculous.


And so, that is my year in a list of five easy, uhm, essays I guess.

Oh hell, what am I saying; that damn list is nothing compared to what I went through these past six months. It's more of a general outline. And I understand that it's missing all the good stuff, like the laughs and the emotions and the sex (because it's the 21st century and any good form of media requires some bit of sexy time). But, you, dear blog, have a whole new year to look forward to. And I promise it will be much messier than the chronologicated bullshit that was this year in review.

In other words, I think I want this blog to be more human, a daily vomit of emotion that may or may not help some other, fellow student out there. And that's the goal, to post something daily of what I learned or how I feel or something I made or did. And maybe it will help. Someone, somehow, somewhere. Even if that person is just me.