new beginnings

oops. this was three days ago, but better late than never:

as opposed to the old beginnings, i am now in tuscaloosa, alabama, trying to start my life over. again. which i suppose is somewhat typical for someone who refuses to leave college.

this morning my family and i drove through the battlefield at vicksburg, mississippi. crazy! all of those soldiers digging trenches, firing on each other all hours of the day and night for 47 days (which is how many steps are in the illinois memorial in the park). it's one of the most monumented parks in the nation--over 1300. basically every 20 feet, there's a monument, most likely for an undistinguished officer no one cares about anymore, or for a regiment from illinois. in addition to a cemetery holding 17000 remains, 13000 of which are unknown.

driving around you can really see why it was so hard to take the fort and city; impregnable really is the right word. and for the first time, i can really appreciate the scope of the physical space that all of those men occupied. the driving loop around the park, which covers both the confederate and union lines all around the old town, is over 16 miles long. it took us about 3 hours to drive it, stopping at the major battle sites. it was also funny to note how much the mississippi river has moved since 1863! the park map has to notate where it was then and where it is today.
some exciting news! i am now the proud owner of a year-long national parks, refuges, and monuments pass! i can now go everywhere for free. at least everywhere owned by the federal government that protects something or other. also, a stamp book to get stamped for every park i visit. thanks, 'rents!

now i have three days to get everything settled for next semester, store my things for the summer, and find an apartment.