It's beginning to look a lot like finals everywhere you go.

 The end of the semester is quickly approaching, and finals season is practically closing in around us. I have officially grown tired of wearing flip-flops every time I shower. There is not enough time in the day to finish all of my papers and projects and studying I should be doing. We are running low on snacks in our room (low is a relative term, but I can't eat any more goldfish or saltines so we're practically rationing the remaining ice cream).

Ah, college.

I'm currently sitting in the hallway of a building, waiting to go to English for the second to last time (I have never been quite so excited to be done with a class). I have a presentation tomorrow, an extra credit movie on Thursday night, a final on Friday, a research paper due Monday, a speaking final next Wednesday, and my last anthropology exam next Friday.

Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked.

The weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break are like a strange and awful purgatory. Everything is due - papers, presentations, teacher evaluations - and there is so much to be done - studying, homework, packing for break. I'm counting down the days until I can collapse on my bed in my room at home and not move for six weeks.

It's all kind of bittersweet, though. My first semester at college has flown by and just as I'm starting to get settled into everything, we're taking a six-week intermission. I'm so excited to go home (hello, home-cooked meals and trustworthy showers) but I will miss my dorm and the people here. I'll miss my roommate and our aDOORable decorations (photo to the right). I mean, I won't miss living in the equivalent of a teenage hotel where no one sleeps and the smell of burnt Easy Mac fills the halls, but the people aren't half bad. It'll be strange not to hear people running up and down the halls at midnight or see everyone hanging out in the floor lounge after classes.

I'm ready to be home, honestly. I miss my parents and my sister; I can't wait to spend Sunday nights watching movies with my mom or taking my younger sister to get frozen yogurt after dinner. It's going to be nice to be home where Wawa is less than five minutes away and I can turn a phone call with my best friend into an impromptu visit.

College is amazing, but home isn't half bad, either.

Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings . . .

I've spent all day working on a presentation and all I really want in life right now is a solid few days at home to do very little besides sleep and eat home-cooked meals. However, I've got another week until I'm home again.

So, I'm spending some time tonight away from homework (my brain can only handle so much for one night) to write about my favorite things and why you should watch/read/listen/love them, too.

TV Show: My current obsession is Reign, a historical drama that airs Friday nights on the CW. The drama is overblown in the best ways, and the love triangles are so juicy. It's really a guilty pleasure kind of show, but it has taught me some random historical facts. Seasons one and two are on Netflix; the third is airing now.

Book: I haven't had time to read in forever, to be honest, but an old favorite of mine that deserves endless love is Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. It's such a feel-good book about growing up and moving on from life's worst moments. Also, Matson is an amazing author who crafts equally amazing characters. The book focuses on Amy and Roger's cross-country road trip. While parts are very cliche, it's honestly a good read and has some curveballs. (Also, the receipts and pictures scattered throughout add a very nice middle school aesthetic that I wholeheartedly support)

Movie: I obviously don't get out much so my current movie recommendation is one I watched online a few weeks ago that was surprisingly worth the two hours of my life. Two Night Stand stars Miles Teller and Analeigh Tipton as strangers who wind up snowed in together after what was supposed to be a casual hookup. While the premise was lacking, it was actually decently funny and had an unexpected but also valid plot twist. 

Music: First, do yourself a favor and look up Reign playlists on Spotify, because all of the music from the show is golden. Second, listen to One Direction's new album (it'll be out Friday, but there's already been a few singles released) because it's precious and the boys have come so far since their What Makes You Beautiful days (also, anything related to 1D is a major middle school throwback which I appreciate)

There's a few of my favorites; hopefully, you found something to entertain you the next time you're procrastinating homework!

The 7th Week Itch

I moved into college August 29th, and this past week has, by far, been the roughest one yet. School hit hard this week - I had a speech due on Monday and then a paper due on Tuesday.

And, of course, it's never that simple. I turned in my paper only to have my teacher tell me it wasn't what she wanted and that my only choice was to rewrite it. I spent that night pouring over my notes again, trying to find something I hadn't seen before and trying not to completely collapse under the stress and embarassment.

We get through life's curveballs.

I think the other aspect that made this week particularly rough was that it's Parents' and Family Weekend on campus. I was home last weekend, and it was fantastic, so I didn't expect to feel so disappointed to be spending my time with Italian homework instead of my family. The nostalgia hits so hard, though. I miss my mom's overbearing hugs and my dad's life advice. I miss the fact that my sister is going to her first Homecoming dance tonight, and I'm not there to help her with her hair or zip up her dress.

I miss high school, too. The football games, the school spirit, the never ending love for each other and our class. You think that it lasts forever or that, at the very least, other people will be able to relate to the same struggle in college. I've found, though, that other people just didn't have the same kind of school spirit. Maybe we were lucky because we wanted to debunk the big high school myth: we wanted to matter to each other.

And I know that a lot of people didn't know who I was and that they wouldn't recognize me tomorrow, but it's okay. I had friends who loved me more than I could ever love myself, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

So, I miss the people and places and their weird traditions. I miss how my life used to be, because no matter how great it's becoming, I still worry that the best years have already come and gone.

Things I Am Learning

College is fantastic and fun and bittersweet. College is hard and unexpected and unpredictable. College is everything I ever wanted but nothing I ever would have asked for.

I've been at school for two weeks now, and I feel as if I already know more about college than I did in my first few days here. The things that once seemed daunting and unbearable are now achievable, conquerable. Here's my (unfinished) list of things to know before leaving home and while you're at school!

1. College changes people. For as many new people as you're going to meet, there's still this undeniable urge to call your friends from home and tell them to take the next train to visit you. What you come to realize, though, is that it's not that your friends from home don't love you anymore, but everyone is crafting their new life at their own schools. People are becoming who they always wanted to be, and sometimes, those versions are as unfamiliar as the people you met two days ago during a lecture on anthropology. Change is a part of life, and you either accept it or let go. 
2. Your parents will miss you more than they expected, too. While you're out making friends and diving into this new independent life, your parents are living the same lives they've had for the past however many years. Now, though, they've got one extra bedroom and an empty seat at the dinner table. My dad emailed me about a week after I moved in and said, "I just wanted you to know that I think about you constantly and miss you terribly." Cherish your last summer with your parents; make time for them while you're planning your next chapter. Remember to call your family at least twice a week and more, if you can. You've gone eighteen years seeing these people almost every day; don't become a stranger to the people who raised you.
3. The best moments are the unexpected. It's 1:30 (in the morning) on a Sunday night, but there aren't classes the next day, so half of the floor is in the lounge. Someone brought cookies in while another room offered their milk. Glasses and mugs came in pairs from rooms along the hall. Someone starts playing old songs from when we were all in middle school and for a little bit, people who barely know each other are sharing in this moment of bittersweet nostalgia. Don't dismiss the nights like these, because parties can only last for so long, but a night with this kind of feeling can last for so much longer.
4. Join clubs you actually want to be a part of. I feel like, in high school, clubs were this gateway to college. Everyone wanted to seem well-rounded and cultured. We played sports we didn't love in the hopes of one day getting a scholarship and joined clubs to save the world when we really weren't even sure how to save ourselves. In college, sign up for anything and everything that interests you, but do it for you, not for some chance down the road to tell someone how involved you were during your freshman year. You'll have time to network, but how often will you get to host your own radio show on the campus station?
5. Umbrellas are completely necessary. Don't say you'll buy one once you get to school, because you'll forget and then it'll be pouring for so long that you're convinced Noah's built a second ark. Also, check the weather in the morning, and if there is any chance of rain, just bring the darn umbrella. Better safe than sorry, and as always, better dry than soaking wet. 
6. Don't let the small things that seem big bring you down. You will miss your house and your dog. You'll want to spend the night in your best friend's backyard around a bonfire talking about life. You will miss your younger sister who's starting high school without you there to chaperone her. There will be nights when you just stay in bed and work on homework while everyone else seems to be going out or falling in love or finding out who they're supposed to be. Everything in college seems so big and great and amazing, but everyone is terrified of so much more than they'll ever say. Don't worry about that time you got drunk and told the boy who lives one room over that he was cute. Don't let a public speaking class keep you up at night, because you can't think of a single issue you want to get up there and talk about for five minutes. 
7. Take time for yourself and have fun. Remember to breathe. The things that seem daunting now will be familiar in a few weeks. You'll find your way around campus and make friends that you actually like. Spend nights in, if you want to, and don't feel as if you need to constantly be out and about. Remember to do your homework and wash your clothes and keep your side of the room somewhat presentable. Do things that interest you, and stop wasting time with people or events that don't. 

 Like I said, I've only been here for two weeks. I'm a newbie, fresh meat on campus. That said, I hope I can help some other freshman who's sitting in their dorm room on a Saturday night, because they just really didn't feel like going out. Every day is a new day; make the best out of each one and don't let the bad days get you down.

Love you all!






 

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.

"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!