The Bubble

Today is the first time I left campus in two weeks.
It's like this small, neatly organized and beautifully foliage-d bubble has been created.
Leaving it is a completely foreign option. We have everything here - decent food, great views, a nudist beach, Starbucks, and even a liquor store... what more could a humble student ask for?
Yet, it's vaguely reminiscent of high school, putting the "real world" even farther from the Real World - otherwise known as life after higher education. Building a comfy cocoon is all well and good, since everyone needs somewhere to relax, recuperate, and build some sort of social network. But at some point you have to face reality.
Reality involves: ... well, I'm not actually clear on what it involves on a grand scale, considering everyone has their own perception. Since perception creates every individual reality, I think attempting to figure out what reality is in a broad sense (other than the definition) is mostly completely pointless. If our perceptions were to narrow to simply our own view of life, what would we be left with? A bunch of zombies walking around like their I-pods are on too high without actually experiencing the world. So, in order to broaden our reality, I assume we must first start with our perception.
I guess realizing that the world is broader than your circle is a good place to start when broadening your the way you look at the world. Broaden. I'll stop now. Go out into the city and explore, listen to one of the (numerous) protests, just pull yourself out of the haze of studying and partying and hanging out to get a breath of fresh air. Vancouver is amazing. Actually, many places are amazing, but since it's about "carpe diem" and not "carpe anno" it would probably just be best to appreciate what's right outside your door to begin with.
On that note, there are even events taking place on campus that tend to yank one from the bubble-daze.
Stephane Dion, whatever prejudices I may have against him and his leadership abilities (please don't leave the country in his hands, voters...), spoke here last week and that's something. Since the world is divided into personal troubles and societal issues, it's refreshening to consider issues instead of just what plagues us day to day. Sometimes the distraction is even what you need to solve these problems, and then you've helped yourself in more ways than one.
In the end it all comes back to you... and your friendly neighborhood bubble.