College is a synonym for independence

 Hi everyone,

I know I promised that I would update once things calmed down and that was all the way back in February. Let me fill you in on what I've all been up to since the last time I wrote here.

The last few months of high school were a crazy blur. I finally became an adult, had a super fun time at prom and took a tour of my college. It was so crazy to walk around on campus, knowing that it would become a home away from home for the next few years. I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone and decided to turn in an application for graduation speaker. The odds were in my favor as I was chosen! I thought I'd turn into a puddle of nerves when I heard my name be called, but I was so excited and it felt so natural. After weeks of practicing, I stood up in front of around 4,000 people, memorized speech engraved in my brain. I understand why musicians love getting up in front of people now. The amount of power you have commanding a room where everyone is silent and listening to your words is something on the next level. With a diploma dropped in my hand and the toss of my mortarboard, I graduated high school.

At the end of my summer (which had gone too fast), I was waiting on the impending arrival of college. I never realized how much stuff I owned until I had to choose what clothes I wanted to bring, what books I should bring and what elements of home I could bring while not overpowering the dorm entirely. While I got slightly choked up saying bye to my friends, I found it hard to leave my family even more, having two breakdowns in the first few hours after they left.

After my movie moment of realizing I was on my own, I quickly warmed up to the college scene. It was so nice to meet my roommates and friends after months of talking to them. I met so many other people within my first 3 days and the independence here was so freeing! If I wanted to go play games on a Thursday night at a friend's dorm for a few hours, I totally could. Last year, I would maybe get an hour to "study" with friends before they had to go home.

I could go to bed, eat, study, hang out with friends whenever I wanted and I didn't have to answer to anyone. The ability to create a schedule for my life felt so freeing to me. My professors were so nice and welcoming. When they told us that we wouldn't need to ask to go to the bathroom or get a drink might have been one of the happiest days of my life so far.

I'm still getting used to college life, but for the most part, I am loving this new sense of independence. The other weekend, I traveled home for the first time in a month. I missed my family, my bed and especially the home-cooked meals. (College meals, while better than I thought they would be, tend to get a little boring after a while). As a side note, and hopefully a motive for me to post more, I'll be making journal entries from my English class and what I've learned so far in that class, so make sure to check back every now and then. Hope you are all doing well!

Signed,

Midwestern Redhead

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