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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

Four years’ worth of adventures in cooking

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A few days ago, the lovely, talented and handsome editors of WEEKEND asked me if I was going to write a goodbye column. I’m graduating in nine days — what, single digits already? — and many columnists in my position choose the “Bittersweet Symphony” — or insert-your-’90s-goodbye-song-here — route.

This last semester, especially the past few weeks, have all been about good-byes. Lots of “lasts” — bar crawls, classes and Little 500. I’ve been slowly emptying my apartment of things I don’t need, just to make the trip to wherever I end up a little easier.

Even when I go grocery shopping, I think, “What if I leave in a few weeks? Why am I buying cheese that will last longer than my time in Bloomington?”  Everyone says this, but college does go by fast. I remember moving in, decorating my walls with cologne ads, drinking god-awful jungle juice and making friends who seem like family. 

Every day was an adventure. Sometimes that adventure only included skipping class and sipping hot chocolate while snow fell outside of Foster Quad. But it was always more exciting than what my parents reported from home. 

When I was deciding on colleges, I looked at the best journalism programs in the country. I examined newspaper awards, notable alumni and class lists. As much as I’ve learned from my time at the Journalism school, I’ve learned more from my friends. I’ll need those basic journalism skills in my future career, but not as much as I’ll need the lessons you get from living with people. 

One of the best things I learned in college was how to take care of myself. I knew how to do my laundry before I came to school, but making meals was a challenge. When you’ve got a variety of fast food and restaurant options only a few minutes away, making your own food often seems like something reserved only for people who have time on their hands.

Our lives move so fast in school. Class, friends and getting over that nagging hangover. But cooking has taught me that some things, often the best ones, take time. The most complicated recipes are usually delicious. As much as I love a good five-minute meal, the times I have forced myself to do something difficult have been when I’ve surprised myself with my ability. 

Wherever I live after graduation, I’ll be tempted to stick to my pasta and fried chicken recipes, the staples that I rely on when I don’t feel like digging through online recipes. Those foods are like a worn-in shirt that always feel right and looks good. 

But as you try new things — even ones that are difficult and uncomfortable — you force yourself to grow. Each year of college was harder than the last, because if you didn’t get better at school, your mind would atrophy — yes, I learned that word in school. Cooking has taught me that. As easy as it is to stick to my tried-and-true meals, I know that my mind, and my stomach, will get bored easily if I don’t find new foods to add my palate.

That’s really all I want after graduation. More recipes, a new city and an exciting job. I just want an adventure.

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