Out of all the Nick Adams Stories we read this semester, “Cross-Country Snow” was one of my favorites. In classic Hemingway style, it read as a one last outing for Nick and his buddy, George, before they each went their separate ways. I couldn’t help but feel nostalgia creep into my mind as I read this story. Just as George went off to school after the went skiing, I left my home and friends to come to TCU. Of course I was ready for the freedom and independence that comes with college life, but any step into the unknown comes with it an air of uncertainty. There is a certain comfort that I felt, and still feel, about my time in high school and before. Looking back, even the events like the English class I wrote about in another blog, which were horrible, it was still a part of that life. Going home now over breaks has just been weird, because it feels more like a vacation than anything else. It sounds drastic but I’ve realized I have gotten to a “point-of-no-return” in my life where, if I can’t make this work, I can’t really go back to anything. There is just something beautiful about coloring and nap time in kindergarten that I miss, but can never do again.
On a much scarier note, I found myself relating to Nick in some ways. George gives him a hard time about how much Nick must hate the idea of settling down with a family, to which Nick replies, “No. Not exactly.” In no way am I saying that I’m ready to settle down with a family, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to it. Seeing my older sisters’ friends getting married and knowing my parents met in college, I have thought that this may end up being the place where I meet the person I spend the rest of my life with. That is terrifying. What makes it even more terrifying is that I may not even know if it’s happening to me.
I finish this last blog with a comment on how much I have enjoyed writing these. It has been cool to get some of my thoughts down on paper (metaphorically). Thanks for the great class this semester Dr. Williams and anyone else who reads this. Merry Christmas!
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