RDB7 Alice in Wonderland

As Alice says in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, “Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle!” (Carroll 23). The search for the answer to this question seems to guide us through life and provoke a curiosity and enthusiasm towards how we should live it. I believe that a little bit of Alice lies within each of us. We are all trying to discover who we truly are through our encounters in our own personal “Wonderland”. Although we all fear growing older and encountering the unknown, the mystery is what makes life so interesting. The University of Texas at Austin has served as my “Wonderland” so far this year and I will continue to explore and grow here until I am able to understand and accept the revolving world around be and jump into it without any hesitations.

At first, coming into such an environment as UT was very confusing and different to me. Much like when Alice was falling down the rabbit hole, I was disoriented by my surroundings and felt like time stood still. Falling Down the Rabbit Hole was a scarey experience.

Similar to Alice’s situation with drinking the potion and eating the cake that changed her size, I was not used to making all of my own decisions and facing their consequences. Choosing the right door and path to follow has been quite an ordeal for me. Since I am now not really certain about which career I want to pursue, I have had a really hard time deciding what courses to take and accepting that I will not always be successful in everything. As I find myself surrounded by all of these doors of opportunity, I must realize that the right ones will open at the right times. I must try to take each day at a time and put my faith in the Cheshire Cat’s motto, “Oh, you’re sure to (get somewhere) if you only walk long enough.” (Carroll 65).

Me walking into the unknow, not knowing what lies ahead.

So far, my teachers have served as the driving forces behind my experiences here. Similar to the beginning of Alice’s expedition, the teachers are essentially the white rabbit in that they guide us down the rabbit hole into a whole new realm of discovery and learning.

Teachers such as Professor Bump are my "White Rabbit".

At first I held Alice’s view that “Lessons (only) teach you to do sums, and things of that sort”, but the teachers here have proved me wrong. (Carroll 253). Not only have things been presented to me in a whole new way, but I also feel like I have gained and retained new knowledge like I never have before. The teachers are so excited and passionate about what they do and it makes me want to actively participate in all aspects of class. It seems, that like the white rabbit, they are also in a continuous rush to teach us all that they can before it is time for us to leave and move on to our next adventure. I have come to see that after the teachers have endowed us with as much information as they possibly can, it is our duty to step through the looking glass and embark on our own personal journey to revelation.

Just as Alice explores the looking glass world, I wish to explore all things that the University of Texas as to offer. It has taken me a while to adjust to everything being “upside down and backwards”, but I am ready to take whatever it throws at me. Although I am jut one chess piece on the enormous chessboard of life here at the University, I know that I can make a unique impact on this place by just being myself. John Tenniel's Looking Glass Chessboard. (The chessboard of my life)

Similar to when Alice was crowned a Queen, I have accepted that I will not be a child forever and that this is my opportunity to grow up and strive for the impossible. I know that somewhere along the way I am bound to get lost in the woods and forget what I am after, but I am in charge of my own destiny and must realize that nothing is impossible. As the white Queen says, “sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast” (Carroll 199) and I am going to try to do the same.

Already, my experiences here have molded me into someone completely new and different from who I was when I first stepped foot onto the Forty Acres. As Alice says to Mock Turtle, “I could tell my adventures- beginning from this morning... but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then” (Carroll 105) I know that my time here will only spark more personal development and evolving interest. I cannot wait to discover my true passions and meet the person who I will become through my time here at the University of Texas at Austin, my “Wonderland”.

Me jumping into adventures and fun at the University of Texas at Austin.