Looking back - Part I

I have been thinking a lot about what it was like to transition from high school into my college years. I remember being sooo excited to leave home for the first time-- to get a sense of independence and to try and accomplish something big on my own. I remember driving through the mountains of North Idaho on my way to San Diego. The car was wayyyyy to full of things, things... things that I would later find out I didn't need in order to start my life at my new school.

I recall how nervous I was to meet my roommate for the first time. Would she be nice? Would we get along? Would she think I was a total dweeb? It didn't take long for Cassie and I to open up to each other and find a friendship.

Saying goodbye to everything that was familiar wasn't a hard thing for me to do until my sister and my mom got back in the car to drive home-- without me. That's when reality began to set in a little stronger than before. But I learned from that moment as well: no matter how much you try and anticipate change, no matter how much you try and prepare for it, thoughts and emotions you could not have conceived ahead of time will come. In those moments, you have to let these new thoughts and feelings sweep you off of your feet and teach you something new about yourself.

On a happy note...!

I mentioned a few blogs ago that one of my best friends and I secured an apartment for next year, and I am SOOOOOO excited to live there! First of all, Cassie is great fun to live with and such a supportive roommate, secondly, the little place we got is super cute! It's a one bedroom with a big living room and and adorable kitchen with retro tile and fixtures from the seventies :)

What's even better is the fact that it is close to school, close to the Point Loma Library (which has a telescope in the kids' section) and even closer to my favorite taco shop, Ortiz! By the way, if you so choose to come to school at Point Loma, you MUST, and I repeat, MUST try their carne asada tacos! They are amazing to say the very least.

I have already started packing and imagining what we can do to decorate the place! Of course we have to find a central place to hang Cassie's canvas from the Dominican Republic, and a funky place to hang my monet print in its thrift-store frame. This is going to be great!

UUUGh! Last big effort!

Well... I find myself in this place yet again for the eighth time in my college career-- finals week preparation! (Background sound: duh duh DUHN!!!)

The way I see it, I only have thirty pages to write, two final exams to take, a repertoire list of every book I've ever read in college to create, and two presentations to give before I can walk across that stage, shake Bob Brower's hand, and take hold of that empty, rolled up piece of paper that I can trade a week later for a diploma. Phhhew! All of this in three weeks! Yikes!

As a result of this somewhat extensive to-do list, I have locked myself up in an empty room and forbidden myself to use my car until I have completed at least two papers and gotten a handle on the two presentations. I'm afraid this might be a long weekend. Will report back later during another sanity break :)

Coming to a close...

I cannot believe that this year is coming to a close. Looking at my calendar is like entering a dream world-- only three weeks until graduation. What, only three weeks until graduation? Oh my gosh... only three weeks until graduation!

I have spent much of the last couple of weeks developing and redeveloping my resume, applying for jobs, attending seminars designed to help students adjust to the "real world." Next week I have a mock interview at the career center and the week following I have a REAL interview! If all else fails, I have a Summer job (one that I love) that I can fall back on. But that's pretty scary. One of my best friends and I just secured an apartment for the year, so my main concern is being able to provide for myself and also to begin paying back the ominous student loans.

Honestly, I go back and forth between feeling completely prepared to be on my own and completely vulnerable to all the change that is occurring right now. It definitely helps that I am not the only person faced with so much uncertainty. And in the end, I really just cling to the hope and faith that everything will turn out okay.