Nazarene Theological Seminary

Like I said in my last post, I've been doing a lot of studying as of late.  My days are now structured around it.  I get up in the morning, have some cereal, forgo a cup of coffee, and start reading or writing.  Usually this isn't so bad.  I am fairly good at buckling down and focusing in at my task at hand.  That is until we got our new dog, Sadie.

Sadie is a tad bit rambunctious.  Don't get me wrong; I love her.  She's a great dog (and a great running partner), but dogs require a lot of attention, and rightfully so.  So I don't mind when Sadie comes up to my desk chair and puts her paws on my arm and gives a little whine letting me know that she needs some entertainment.  Unfortunately, when one is trying to get through John Milbank's Being Reconciled, interruptions do not serve to one's advantage.

Thus, I have been forced out of my cozy home to find new places to read and write.  At first I started at the Starbucks just down the street from our lovely condo, but then I gave up coffee for Lent.  Besides, to plunk down a few bucks for a cup of coffee or a hot tea (which I've tried as a substitute during this season but have not learned to enjoy at all) adds up pretty quickly.  Most students as a result frequent the library, which I have also tried, but I inevitably fall asleep in the midst of my studies due to the overall stillness of the place.

As you can imagine, that doesn't leave to many other places to study beside a park bench in 40 degree weather.  I was feeling I was just about out of options today for a peaceful, free, and yet stimulating place to study until I came across Kansas City's Union Station.  Union Station has a rich history and would seem like an unlikely place to study, but given that Union Station isn't a bustling passenger train station any longer, it is surprisingly just the place I've been looking for. 

As I sat down at an empty table in the middle of this huge building, I was met by the activity of power-walkers on their lunch break trying to burn a few calories before they headed back to their desk jobs accompanied by the sweet tunes of my iPod.  In other words, the perfect visual and auditory background noise to get some studying done.  Now if only I had remembered to bring the right books with me...