Signs From The Universe

I'm probably going to pay dearly for the time it's going to take me to write this. I'm currently staring at 100+ pages of analyzed thesis data that I need to look at so I can finally start to write this sucker -- it's due in two weeks and I'm mildly panicked -- but I need to talk about something first.

The universe.

I think I've mentioned before that I'm not a spiritual person, but I'm a firm believer that, every now and then, the universe makes its presence known. Like that time I was shoe shopping and the last remaining pair of sandals I adored was in my size? A sign from the universe. When I was waiting for college acceptances and I'd see a car driving around with a sticker on it of a school I'd applied to? Sign from the universe. When I got my first callback for Endurance 5 exactly one year (literally to the day) after I got my first callback for Endurance 4? Definitely the universe. But I'd never experienced anything quite like what happened to me on Tuesday.

I'd been having a rough few days (weeks, months, semester). My thesis panic had begun on Monday and hadn't let up; I was about to give a presentation in my final class of the day; I had a hundred stories to code for another class on Thursday; you get the idea. I was just not feeling it that day.

So I was sitting at the shuttle stop in front of the Hecht Athletic Center waiting to go to class, checking Twitter on my phone, when a guy sits down on the next bench over. He's wearing athletic-looking clothes, has a little pink backpack on his back, and is smoking a cigarette and eating French fries. It was weird, but it looked like he came from the direction of the Hecht, so I thought maybe he was a new athlete and the backpack was a hazing thing. I mean, it's good enough for MLB rookies, right?

"Hi!" he says. "How are you doing?"

I'm naturally suspicious of any friendly strangers (call it a byproduct of growing up in New York), and that coupled with my stress meant I was feeling decidedly unfriendly. But I forced a smile. "Okay. You?"

"Good, thanks. You're looking very beautiful today."

I had to stifle the urge to roll my eyes, and thanked him instead.

He offers me a French fry. I stifle another eye roll and politely refuse.

But he continues to talk to me. Resigning myself to the fact that he's not going away, I put my phone away, suck it up and participate in the conversation. He tells me he's thinking about walking onto the football team next season, and asks me my major and what I want to do. I say I want to get into sports journalism and suddenly he's gushing about the University of Oregon. Apparently that's where he did his first year of undergrad, and was seriously waxing poetic about how wonderful their athletic program is.

"So if you want to get into sports, you should definitely get up there and check it out," he said.

I shrug. "If I could I would, but I don't really have that kind of money right now."

"Yeah, I got you," he laughs. And then, after a slight pause, "You know, you can do anything you put your mind to."

I kid you not.

I blink, taken aback. "I, uh... thanks. That's really nice to hear."

He's smiling. "Yeah, I think we all need to support each other more. We all have dreams, you know?"

"Uh, yeah, absolutely."

He stands up and walks over to shake my hand. "Well, it was really nice to meet you. My name's Terrence."

"I'm Darci."

"Hope to see you around sometime, Darci."

And he walks away, dumping his empty container of fries in the trash and bouncing a little on the balls of his feet. I'm left staring, dumbfounded, at his little pink backpack as he disappears down the road.

So, let's recap:

• He sits down next to me at the shuttle stop, but gets up and leaves after only a minute or two, long before the shuttle ever shows up. So he clearly wasn't waiting for it.
• He tells me I can do whatever I set my mind to in the midst of the most stressful time of my life, which I hadn't mentioned to him at all.
• He tries to sell me the University of Oregon without even knowing I'm looking for jobs/postgrad internships in collegiate athletic departments. And, as my dad reminded me the following day, my parents are looking into moving to the Pacific northwest.

It was probably the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced. Actually, no. It was definitely the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced. It sounds like I'm making this all up, but my imagination is nowhere near this good.

The more I've thought about it, the more positive I am that he was the universe telling me to stop feeling so cruddy about the state of my life. And hey, maybe this means I'm going to end up working for the University of Oregon. I'd be totally okay with that! :P 

So, universe, thanks for the pick-me-up. I really, really needed it. Though it would've been cool if you hadn't let the shuttle take so long and make me 20 minutes late for class... but I guess beggars can't be choosers!

Can't Stop, Won't Stop

Life is stressful.

I'm not telling anyone anything you don't already know, but it had to be said. For example, I'm writing this post from the food court during a brief break in my six-plus hours of lecture today, in lieu of doing schoolwork that's due by 6:25. But there's a reason for this. Hold that thought.

These last few days have been... well, quite the experience. On Friday morning/afternoon, I worked at my first tennis match for my internship, and then it was off to the library for several hours of thesis research, which took far longer than expected and prompted a wave of mild panic. On Saturday was another tennis match and then a shift at the wellness center. Sunday had me working women's and men's basketball games back-to-back, which meant over eight hours at the BankUnited Center. Yesterday I got to worrying about my thesis again, and did the math to realize that I have to research nearly five Olympics each week through April (46 Games in ten weeks) if I want to have a prayer of finishing on time.

Like I said, life is stressful.

So, today I brought my laptop with me in the hopes of getting some work done in between classes, which would leave some time later to work on my thesis (I'll most definitely need it; the 1900 Paris Olympics were a hot mess). But when I sat down and opened my computer, I checked my email and found this:

Dear Darci, 

Thank you for your readiness to contribute to the XXII Olympic Winter Games and the XI Paralympic Games in Sochi as a volunteer. It is these volunteers who will be the main driving force behind the Games, creating the unique atmosphere of hospitality Russia is preparing to show millions of guests. 

Knowledge of the English language is one of the key components of our success and, because of this, one of the steps to becoming a volunteer is a test of your knowledge of English. 

The aim of this test is to determine your current level of English, to help us plan future training, and to decide the most suitable position for each volunteer candidate. The test will be online. As soon as you receive the link for the test, click on it and follow the online instructions. 

The test consists of four parts (grammar, listening, reading and writing). The exact questions asked will depend on your answers, no one test will be the same. It will take, on average, 40 minutes to complete. We recommend answering questions in the order they come, as it is not possible to go back later. 

It is recommended to take the test in Internet Explorer browser.  

More information about the structure of the test, and tips on how to complete it, can be found on the volunteer portal (My events tab).  

Please follow the link http://www.sochi2014.ef.com/enrollment/lls/login and complete the test during the week. Please register with the same e-mail you use in Sochi 2014 volunteer application form. When you have completed this test, we will let you know what the next step is. 

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee

So, naturally, my time today will have to be reallocated! :)

However, that email in itself didn't inspire this post. Another one did, this one from "The Universe." There's a website, www.tut.com, where you can sign up to receive notes from The Universe. They're all inspirational stuff, which is great for when you're feeling unmotivated, stressed or generally blah about life. Sometimes they end up being creepily appropriate for my current situation, but I don't think they've ever been more so than this one:

You're going to miss the slow times and quiet days, Darci. Your anonymity, stealth, and small circle of friends. Plodding along at your own pace, working in spurts, and wondering where your next break will come from. Even your uncertainties, doubts, and fears will be missed.  

It just works like that once massive dreams start coming true.  

You'll manage just fine,    The Universe

 It gave me goosebumps. Because right now, I have zero slow times and quiet days, I have no idea when my next break will come, and I'm more uncertain, doubtful and afraid than I've probably ever been in my life. But I adore my internship and am chomping at the bit to get my thesis going, so I feel like it all has a purpose, like it's all bringing me where I want to end up. Getting this email right on the heels of the next steps to become a Sochi 2014 volunteer felt suspiciously like karma.

Look out, world. I'm coming for you.