Operation College

So, I moved in bright and early Saturday morning! It was super hectic and chaotic, but things moved pretty quickly. Thankfully, my roommate was already moved in (she went early for a separate orientation) so she was able to help me and give some tips. She's super nice, and I'm excited to spend the year hanging out with her in the dorm and between classes.

With the help of poster puddy and many Command strips, I was able to hang decorations in my dorm and really make it feel like home. I have one of the larger dorm styles on campus, so we have lots of space to make it feel almost like a tiny apartment with no private bathroom. We're right in the center of everything, with the elevator and bathroom right across the hall, so we've had fun getting to know people as they pass by.

Besides setting up my room, I've been going to countless orientation events where they force us to socialize and think about the future and who we want to be. It's all been a really good experience, though, and I'm happy with my decision to go to UD. I've already met so many nice people. What everyone says about freshmen is so true: we're all in the same boat, and everyone wants to make friends.

Enough about the cliches and typical yay-college. Here are some pictures of my dorm (hoping they might be useful to anyone who's googling for pictures of Redding Hall next summer like I was a few weeks ago)!!

Btw, Command strips are a no-no, but no one told us until after everything was hung and the damage was literally already done, so they let us keep them up anyway.

Here are some decorations on my wardrobe, including some framed photos and a caricature with my friend.
















On the right is my bed, with my tapestry from society6 on the wall. I've also got two bulletin boards on the wall above my headboard!!
















Here's my desk, with my photo collage and some other DIY stuff! The Eiffel Tower painting is actually from France; a friend brought it back for me this summer!












Our "kitchen" has a fridge, microwave and Keurig, along with plenty of snacks. We got the shelf from Target and the coffee mug to hold the K-cups from a craft store.

Textbooks, Packing, and Goodbyes

College, in theory, is wonderful. I love the idea of setting up my own room with decorations and picking out the perfect color scheme that doesn't have to match the blue walls that came with my current house eight years ago. I can't wait to go get meals with my roommate or spend our nights in, watching Parks&Rec and eating goldfish.

The truth, though, is that there's a lot before those really fun things. I've been saying goodbye to my friends for a solid two weeks now, and it never gets easier. It's just one heart-wrenching hug after another and the same promise to stay in touch. I know that we're all going on to great things and that we'll be home before we know it for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It still sucks, though. This is the part no one tells you about, because as quickly as it happens, it's over. I know, in a week, I'll be at school and things will be so great. Right now, though, it feels like my heart is collapsing in on itself each time I think about not seeing my friends for three months.

I'll be fine, obviously. We always are.

Between the hugs and crying, I still have to function and move towards this college thing. I have to order textbooks that cost approximately way too much. I've finally packed all of my dorm stuff up into nice containers and finished printing out photos for all of the frames I've painted to cover up the thrift store paint jobs. I'm not sure if I have too much stuff or not enough, but I'm pretty happy with everything I'm taking (which includes a fridge with a mini freezer for UD's campus-made ice cream)

So, college, in actuality, is bittersweet. As excited as I am to go, I still want to stay right here where everything is familiar. In honor of my dorm decor and my fantastic friends, here's the collage I'll be using as decoration for the back of my desk.

"So no one told you life was gonna be this way . . ."

Hi, everyone!

I used to have another blog for a decent amount of time, but seeing as I'm about to start my freshman year at the University of Delaware, I decided to revamp things a little.

As someone told me yesterday, college is a clean slate where I can be whoever I want to be. With that promise, I've decided to be the best version of myself possible. Over the course of the next year, I'm hoping to document everything from moving in to finding new friends to coming home only to cry about leaving a few days later.

I'm excited to go, but I'm also terrified. I don't want to say any more goodbyes, and I don't think I'm ready to be on my own. All I know is that, at the end of the road, it's all going to be so worth it. I can't wait for that day.

Wish me luck, and good luck to anyone else going back to school this fall!