Starting at St. Vincent Seminary

In order to explain to people (in the words of Mike Craig) "what the heck is going on" with this seminary business, I've decided to try and document as much of this experience as I can. Then maybe guys who are considering doing this can get an idea of what goes on and everyone who knows that I am here can get the same thing. Then, several years from now, I can put it all together and sell it as a book.
Don't expect anything brilliant. I'm just doing this to get it down in words and out of my head.

-------------

Orientation

It's the end of our orientation period at St. Vincent. Tomorrow we formally start the school year.
Orientation has been interesting. From the very beginning I couldn't help but notice how different it is here, compared to Mount Union and basically everything else. I'm not trying to put down any other experience I've had, but this is a different world.
One of the worst parts about going away to school is moving in. It's hectic, tiring, and generally not fun. Here, I stepped out of the van, and all of my belongings were transported up to my room by the orientation team. I carried nothing. That was nice.
Another thing that stands out in this place is the way that prayer permeates your day. I have tried to get into the Liturgy of the Hours many times before coming here but always lost interest. Now I realize why - you have to do it for a few days to feel the rhythm of prayer that starts to develop. After a few days you start to expect all of the various times of prayer that break up the day. You start doing things that confused you before automatically. It's a beautiful thing.
The Eucharist also has a huge presence here at St. Vincent. Right outside of my window is a gigantic, breathtaking basilica. Down the stairs and through a hall is the seminary chapel. Both are always there with the Blessed Sacrament. It's easy to overlook how cool this is. I just think about life at Mount Union or even at home when I had to drive to a church to pray before the Eucharist. Now I walk past the tabernacle several times a day outside of prayer and mass.
----
I wore clerical clothes at an offical function for the first time today. It was weird but good at the same time. The feeling of walking into the chapel and seeing over a dozen black shirts in the chairs is pretty amazing. Not that I feel worthy of looking like a priest, I think I'll be a little uncomfortable with it for a while, but it feels like belonging to an army. Everyone blends together with the black clothes and small white squares at their necks - you're all there for one purpose. Everyone takes their faith seriously and it's not weird to want to be a better Catholic Christian.
----
One last experience that I had today occured when I took a bike ride with another seminarian in my diocese. We rode all around the college and in the end went by all of the residence halls. It felt like I was in another world. I didn't realize it at the time, but I have been with the same guys for several days with little interaction with the outside world. It was strange to see all of the college students moving in and hear the loud random swearing that accompanies most college guys for some reason. It feels like I live in a totally different universe from them. I guess once classes get going, it will all seem more normal as it gets busier around here.
I think I'm just trying to express how the seminary feels to me right now.
It's not like secluding yourself from all of the bad things that go on the world, but it feels like directing every activity of your day towards God. From having morning, daytime, evening and night prayer as well as daily mass, God seems to be everywhere even if you're not thinking about Him.
It makes me want to work harder to put Him in the center of my life. I think it's easier here to take Him for granted even though you're in a religious atmosphere. You could go through the motions and just do everything like you were just taking some classes.
----
This is a pretty amateurish start but those are my thoughts.
Please comment and even ask questions if you want.