Getting the Chills

Yesterday night was perhaps one of the most beautiful Burlington nights yet. The wind was soft, and the air was cool, and it had this very autumn feel to it. I had my headphones blaring a song that just seemed to fit the theme of the day, but not because of its lyrical content. The song is called Way Out Of Here by Porcupine Tree, and it holds a lot of memories for me. On my trip back to school this past summer, my father and I had it blasting in the car, and as the buildup came to a conclusion, my heart was pounding. I said, "That gave me the chills," and my father replied simply with, "Me too." I looked over at his arm slightly resting on the steering wheel to see little goosebumps covering it. My arm, too, had little goosebumps, and I felt like we had a moment of complete understanding. We were riding on the same wavelength, and we both allowed a beautiful p

I bring up this moment because it is a rarity for me, and in class yesterday one of my Game Design professors talked about the sensation of getting the chills. He explained why it happens and how it happens sometimes for people when they play video games. This idea he brought up - the intensity of video games giving people the chills - was novel to me. I have never experienced something like that before. The only other time I can remember getting the chills from a non-somatosensory experience was a time when I listened to classical music. I almost felt left out as he explained his "chills" moments and made it seem like most gamers in the room have had that experience too. Not me, though, and I wonder why that is.

My late night outing derived from the start of the Women In Technology Club which I am organizing and facilitating at Champlain College with a few others. It went incredibly well, and seemed to be the perfect ending to an all around emotionally pleasing day. I shook away the thoughts of goosebump moments and focused on how to create an interesting space where communication and relationships can build in the Champlain community. On my walk home, though, I couldn't help but long for another moment of awe-strucken beauty.