Today I put on Thing like an old, comfortable pair of exercise pants and jogged off west down I-70 into the heart of Missouri. My destination: the University of Missouri-Columbia, to deliver a grad school application. I am applying there for an M.A. in Journalism with a focus on TV/radio production. That way I could learn how to use audiovisual equipment, which is essential if I want to do movies someday.
And I locked my keys in the car. Thankfully, my mom forced me to buy Triple-A roadside assistance at the end of last summer before I drove back to school. In less than half an hour, a helpful man arrived to block the narrow road with his tow truck and jimmy my lock open. While I waited for him, I sat in the Starbucks across the road and took in the atmosphere. Lots of folks with open laptops. One man loudly discussing a political science project on his cell phone. Two ladies discussing their children's various academic accomplishments. Vocabulary words dropped from everyone's mouths with easy familiarity.
I've been out to Mizzou before for juggling conventions. I like the area, and it's an easy two-hour jaunt from my family. I could see myself living there for a few years.