A different start to a still awesome experience!
To: OSU, Lambda Chi Alpha & Greek Life, Andrea, and the Thompson Family,
I was to start this blog days ago when I first arrived in London, England for a finance internship, and later for a study abroad program in Lund, Sweden. I arrived this past Saturday at 7:30am at the London Heathrow Airport. It has been an amazing and great experience until I was thrown my first big challenge to understand and overcome while also being so far away from home – to those that do not know, I and many others of the Sherwood and OSU communities lost a friend, brother, and amazing gentleman, Cody Thompson today.
I am simply shocked at the moment, and frustrated at the distance between myself and the people I need to support in Portland. As I have spent the last hours attempting to process my feelings and emotions, I have decided to write to everyone about getting the most out of life. You really never know when it will end. Cody Thompson is one who lived everyday to the fullest, and I myself am going to do the same while hear in Europe.
I am staying in Nido Place, a large apartment complex specifically for international students. There are some awesome people hear from all across the world, and lucky for me, they all know how to speak a little bit of English. I have a cool roommate from Italy, named Marco. He is a quite person, but a good roommate to have.
I started my amazing internship this past Monday. I had a slight change of companies once I landed, because the previous company did not need an intern so they graciously past me onto their partners St. James Place Partnership. St. James Place is a wealth management firm, who financially advises some of the wealthiest Middle Easterner and European families. I will be sure to write more on the crazy transition, the internship itself, and some of its specifics later.
Every night I have gone out to see the city. It is very difficult to explain the awesomeness of it all. The city, its design, and character is amazing! Pictures will hopefully speak a 1,000 words.
As I wrap up my first post of many, I want to reinforce the meaning and purpose of this post. Live everyday as it is your last, love and share your love for everyone, because at any moment it may move on to a better place called heaven. I love OSU and everyone who is part of it, even those that now live in spirit.
June 18th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Dear Paul
I am the office coordinator in the Department of Public Health at OSU. Cody was one of our students, and I was called this morning by Michael Henthorne of the MU and notified of his death. I was too shocked to ask him the cause of death. Did he work at the MU? I know the Health Management and Policy faculty will want to know. My condolences on the loss of your friend. It is always heartbreaking when our best young people are taken from us.
June 19th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
This is awesome Paul really made me tear up. I still dont want to believe this happened. Cody was such an awesome guy and always made me laugh, and he was always smiling. Im going to miss that smile