Updates

I'm actually going to spare you guys this one and not go over every single detail of my life. I'm just going to talk about the important things. I know, its like, a revelation or an apocalypse or something.

First of all, I'm really enjoying the Catholic Campus Ministries club. They are the nicest people ever, and I've made some friends already. Such sweet people. The Bishop of the diocese of Raleigh came today for a dedication service (if this sounds like jibberish, don't worry; it was a really big deal, and he's a VIP. That's all you have to know), so I put on a cute dress and helped with one part of the Mass. Bishop Burbidge is so funny, and such a nice guy. I love bishops!

Next point of interest: so there's this boy. The one I went out with on Monday. I've been talking to him every day for the past...wow, it feels like a lot longer, but it hasn't even been a week. Anyway, we ate together today. He's turning out to be quite the catch. He makes me laugh a lot, and what's even better is that I make him laugh a lot, too. I love that. He actually told me last night that I'm funny. Seriously, anyone who tells me I'm funny...that is one of the most flattering things any person could ever say to me. And he said I'm cute. And when we talk, something just kind of clicks. Like we get each other. Okay...I'm not going to get all serious over two day-time dates and a few texts. I'm no where near 'dating' him, or even necessarily 'liking' him. I just met him. I'm just saying this potentially has the potential to be something. I'm keeping my eye on him, that's all.

And for the record, though I have named most of my friends in this, I've decided not to name boys. That's just a bit personal, and I've posted this site all over my Facebook and Twitter so I have no clue who all turns on their laptops in the middle of the night when they're sure no one will catch them, hides under their blankets in bed and reads this blog. I don't exactly want ALL of my business out there. And situations could get awkward if boys figure out that I'm blogging about them...I could turn out looking like a total creep. If anything is ever serious with someone, I promise I will name that person. But for now, boys remain unnamed.

Moving on. I have to go home tomorrow for an orthodontist appointment. Lame. Then I'm coming back, then leaving again on Friday for Labor Day weekend. Double lame. I was really contemplating staying home, but my dad's birthday is next week and we'll probably go out to eat for this occasion on Sunday. So I thought I should be home for that. I know, I'm an angel. I'm giving up actually spending a weekend here for my daddy. But that's okay, I'll have plenty of weekends to spend here. Daddy only has one birthday every year. So although I'm not looking forward to leaving this haven, I'm happy to be a good daughter. Plus I have a situation I need to straighten out with a boy back home...long story short, he likes me (a lot) and I just don't feel the same anymore. He's there. I'm here. Things have changed since this summer so much already. You get the drift.

So, I'm going home to rip off a bandaid and eat a birthday cake. I suppose this will be an interesting weekend. But in my dumpy small town...lets just say the cake better be red velvet, or I'll have wasted my precious time.

Just Another Day

Today seems to be what a very typical Monday will consist of for me for the next semester.

I got up early so I could straighten my hair (and I did so in vain; after two class periods, I came back and it was a frizzy mess), then I went to my morning classes. I almost fell asleep in both but kept up with the notes fairly well. I was excited for today because I had my coffee date with the guy I met last week. He was really sweet. I wouldn't call him my soulmate or anything, but I had a really nice time. And ohh emm gee, my vanilla bean coolatta was BANGIN'. But yeah, I had a good time. Then I came back and took a glorious nap, got up and fixed some stuff for my loan, went to my next two classes in which I sat with my two new friends who are really funny and nice, went to a late lunch/early dinner with them, and came back to do homework.

Ahh, yes. This is the college life.

Seriously, if you're not in college yet, this is something like what life will be like every day (unless you're ugly and can't get dates like me ;]).

Shaniqua and I are getting ready to go to some event they have outside tonight. Summer Sizzle or something. There's free food, so I'm going.

A word to the wise: ALWAYS take advantage of free stuff. This is a blog about a BROKE college girl, after all...

I'm Back!

I am so so so happy to be back. I felt weird at home. Being here feels right.

I am currently taking some stupid quiz for the loan I'm trying to accept. You know, the loan that will keep me in the place I have come to call home. The place that makes me so incredibly happy. The place that I belong. Yeah, that place. I want to stay.

But this quiz is really pointless. I have to read a passage about subsidized and unsubsidized loans and answer questions about each passage. There are sixteen passages. And all the answers are either 'true' or 'all of the above.' I'm not even reading.

On a different note, I just came back from the Catholic Mass they hold on campus. Everyone was so nice. And a girl on the Facebook page saw I had commented on a post saying I wanted to go, and she stays in the dorm next door, so we walked together and ate together at the (free and delicious!) cookout they held after Mass. It was a good time. Their food was seven million times better than the cafeteria food. And I love good food.

Okay, time to finish this tedious quiz and my homework. Ciao, bellas!

Mi Familia

My family seriously acts like I'm not living away from home now. It really bothers me. They all just left for church and Sweta and I will be going back any minute, and the only two people that hugged me were my mom and Kyla. And Kyla is the only one that even mentioned me going back. But my sister and her best friend just walked out the door, and my dad gave me a very passive 'bye.' Its like they don't even notice that I'm not around when I'm gone.

I do appreciate my best friend, Alex, though. She came to see me both nights I've been here, and we've had some of the best times together that we've ever had. We laughed so much and caught up on each other's lives. Last night she met my friends from school and they all really seemed to hit it off. I was happy about that. And when she left last night, we began our long goodbye and started laughing again, which further extended saying goodbye. She's one of the only reasons I'll ever come home.

I'm just ready to be back in Wilmington. With every passing second I feel more and more anxious to get back and away from this place.

Here's to leaving. Again.

Home Sweet Home?

I came home yesterday. Home...I mean back to where I lived before...whatever it is. I came back.

I'm not sure what home is anymore. Honestly, I hope that you who are awesome and reading this blog, if you're in college I hope you are as happy as I am at Wilmington. If you're not yet, I hope you find a place that makes you feel just as at home, if not more so, than your actual home. Wilmington has done that. I'm so incredibly happy.

In lieu of that, you can imagine how weird it is for me to be back in my hometown. I love my family more than anything in this world. But at the same time, I feel like I'm not really supposed to be here or sleep in my bed or eat food from this pantry anymore. I feel like I got into a time machine and rewound to this summer before I even left. Its a strange feeling.

Sweta and I are going back tomorrow morning. I'm so insanely excited, its ridiculous. I just hate being here. I went to Wal-Mart today with my mom and my brother's girlfriend Kyla, and I hated it. The people here...I just can't stand being around them anymore. Like, I honestly can not STAND it. I thought I couldn't before, but actually getting out and being around people who have sense and respect themselves, I don't ever want to be around these people again. I so wish my family didn't live here because then I really would never have to come back.

On the bright side, I now have a coffee date with the guy I saw at the rave the other night. I worked that charm and...you know...the rest is history. ;)

By the way, my amazing friends who read this blog told me that when I said my thighs were burning from dancing at the club it made me sound like I'm fat. Just to clarify, I'm one of those rare girls that actually doesn't think this is true about herself. I'm a happy size three.

Anyway, the next time you will hear from me, I will be back home.

That's right. Home.

University Firsts: Dance the Night Away?

I just got back from my first rave ever. I have never felt more disgusting in my life.

It. Was. So. Freaking. HOT.

I was sweating in places I didn't think could sweat. And I'm pretty sure I lost five pounds in straight water. My roommate said it best: "That wasn't sweating, we were leaking."

It was...fun. I say "...fun" because it wasn't amazing or the best night of my life or anything. We were talking to some people outside, and as soon as we got inside one of the guys (who I hadn't even seen standing with us, to be honest) asked me to dance with him. He was nice. He got me and my friend water. The second time we went out, I thought I was going to have to amputate my legs on the spot. My thighs felt like they were literally on fire, and my shirt was completely drenched as if I had jumped in the pool. And it had only been about five minutes. I took a breather and looked for Zach (the guy I was dancing with. I didn't look that hard because he wasn't all that cute...which is horribly shallow, but whatever, I'm not talking about why I didn't marry him or anything), but it was so packed I couldn't see anyone person. Some really drunk guy came up behind me and asked if I wanted to dance. I was slightly grossed out, but said as politely as I could manage, "No, thanks." "Well you could have said it nicer," he responded, quite bitterly, and left. I looked at my roommate and giggled. Then another guy asked if I wanted to dance, and I did for a minute, but my thighs just couldn't take it any more. I leaned over to Shaniqua and asked if she was ready to go, and thankfully she was.

The rest of my suitemates were heading to the back where there were less people and you could actually feel the blasting AC so we could cool off first. On the way there, I saw a guy we met last night on the way to the fireworks. He had been talking to Hannah, and he didn't recognize me at first. When he did, though, he mentioned that Hannah told him she thought one of her friends might talk to him. I couldn't remember if I had actually told Hannah I thought he was cute (which he totally is), but he seemed interested, so I went with it. I told him I was about to leave, and he said he was sad that I only talked to him now, that I didn't even dance with him first. So, surprising myself with my confidence, I suggested swapping numbers casually and said we could dance next time. I highly doubt there will be a next time I ever do that, but I still got his number. He text me when I got back to my dorm. That's what's up.

So now I'm showered and cleaned (THANK YOU GOD FOR RUNNING WATER). I'm going home tomorrow because there is supposed to be a hurricane coming through here and nothing will be happening so there will be no point in staying. Plus I'm a teensy bit homesick.

To wrap this up, my advice to you is that its okay to let loose and have a little fun. I didn't do anything bad while I was out (partying isn't really my scene), but I still had a nice time. Just make sure you're prepared to accept any consequences. My eight AM class tomorrow is going to be so much fun...

G'night!

Happiness

I'm so happy here.

This is seriously the perfect place for me. All the people are so nice, its hot outside, the campus forces me to get exercise (this doesn't sound like a good thing, but it definitely is), I make more friends every single day...I just don't even know what to do with myself. I'm so happy.

Buckle your seat belts...

...cause this is going to be a long post.

Classes started today.

I feel like, if it wasn't official before, its totally official now. I am in college. I attend college classes. I just can't stop saying it.

My first piece of advice for this post is to wake up way before you think you need to. I woke up forty-five minutes before my first class (which was later than I wanted to anyway). It took me fifteen to get there. I felt like I had to look like a crazy person. Just imagine a bright eyed and bushy haired freshman at seven-fifty in the morning running across campus. I was really trying to avoid running, but at seven-fifty seven when I was still on the other side of the clock tower from the building and I didn't even know where my actual classroom was, I was starting to panick. Still, I was under five minutes late, but its not the best start to the first day day. For my second class, I was on time. My second class is only ten minutes after my first, but its not that far away so I made it. Then my third class isn't until one, which is going to be great when I start getting a whole bunch of homework to do. I can start it in that nice break I have.

I was a few minutes late again to my third class because, again, I underestimated to distance to the building from my room and overestimated my knowledge of the campus. I was looking at the buildings in front of me, feeling totally lost and seeking someone who could help me, when a girl to my left said, "Are you new here?" I responded with a yes and she looked disappointed. Then she asked, "Do you happen to know where the Cultural Arts building is?" Coincidentally, this is where I was headed, so I pointed and said I thought that was the building.

After that class, the two guys to my left were talking about their next class being in the same place as mine, and as it turned out it was the same class as well. We all walked together, and I think I made two more friends, this time all on my own. So we went to my last class for the day, and we were done by three-fifteen. We walked back together (they stay in the dorm next to mine) and I chilled out until I met up with Sweta and Hannah.

My professors all seem really cool. One of my professors was Dutch and suggested to us that he thought marijuana should be legalized in the U.S. That was interesting. My Freshman Seminar teacher was a lot funnier than I expected. She told us about how she loves to run and stalks celebrities. My theatre professor is heaps spastic (heaps = loads or very. Its an Australian term), but seriously funny and had me cracking up at his hare-brained-ness the entire time. And my calculus professor doesn't seem insufferable either. So overall, I'm HEAPS excited.

Every day I meet new people. Its such an awesome thing. And I'm trying to figure out all the ways I want to get involved. I HIGHLY suggest getting involved when you're in college. I want to join the Catholic Campus Ministry and try to start an intramural ultimate frisbee team. I'm also considering the club that cleans the beach. I think they're called the surf riders or something. Our involvement carnival is next week, and is already written down in my planner. Apparently you get a ton of free stuff, which is heaps cool.

Heaps. I'm obsessed with Australians. And Spaniards.

Change is in the Air

My first college class starts in less than eight hours.

You might be wondering why I'm still awake. Well I'm wondering as well. If someone could tell me, that would be great.

Today was interesting. My...friend came up to see me and it was nice but...well just but. Its complicated. But my roommate and I finally clicked! My friend asked her to come eat with us and she hung out with me and my friends after he went back home. She's really, really cool. We were chatting away the whole way back from Sweta's dorm to ours.

I feel like I'm already such a different person. But not in a way that I'm changing my morals or becoming a monk or anything like that. Nothing drastic. But I can hear myself talking differently. I feel more outgoing and comfortable talking to strangers. I feel like its easier for me to meet new people. And its honestly because of Hannah. She is so infectious, she's rubbing off on me. Its so strange.

I haven't decided whether this is good or bad. I mean, there's absoluely nothing wrong with the things that are changing, and Hannah is just a gem, but I don't want to end up someones clone. I don't want people to see me as a someone's groupie or follower. I want to be the best version of ME I can be. But she makes it so so easy to talk to people. Because of her, I walk around campus and random people say, "Hey, Olivia!" That has literally happened. Because of her, I know half of the International House, and they are THE coolest people in the world...literally. Because of her, I feel a lot more confident, like people notice me a little bit more, and like I'm genuinely pretty (she's told me I am numerous times, and it makes me feel good to know someone who just met me thinks I'm pretty, not someone who knows me really well and feels obligated to say it). This all sounds a little Disney Channel, but its the truth.

I'm changing...for better or for worse?

BEACH BLAST

I'm sitting in my friend Sweta's dorm room waiting for her and Hannah (a new friend) to get ready so we can go to beach blast!!

Beach blast is this event held every year since the beginning of time where the university holds a stretch of the beach for the students to hang out for the day. They give out free stuff and have free food and other awesomesauce things.

We saw some suuuuper hot Aussies in the cafeteria at breakfast, and Hanny Banany (as Sweta so lovingly calls her), being as carefree and outgoing as usual, started talking to them. Sweta asked if they were going to beach blast and a particularly sensationally attractive one says, "Am I eva! Weh're Austrahlian, we live at tha beach!" in a super hot accent and we all melted on the spot. So there's no doubt that we'll be seeing them there.

Excitement x 93729835729387425

University Firsts

I just got my first email from a professor.

I feel like I just took my first steps or something! This is exciting.

It was just my Freshman Seminar professor, but still. I actually read through the whole thing and she seems okay. Not super chill, but not a tightwad either. A good medium.

I just got really excited for school to start.

Let me repeat that:

I just got really excited for school to start.

Whoa.

Things are looking up

The title reigns true! I actually hung out with my suitemates today (my roommate has been at orientation the past two days. Plus she's kind of shy), things are going well with my new friends, and I think I've found someone who can fix my Facebook spam problem. Plus the hot guys on campus are finally starting to crawl out of whatever secret sexy boys cave they've been hiding in.

My mom was fussing at me earlier because I haven't been getting anything done. Which is true...I haven't found out my mailbox number so I can't tell her and she can't send me a check for my books, which I have yet to look up the prices for. Its just hard. I'm away from home and can just say to my friend, "Let's walk here" or "Let's go see so-and-so" or whatever. I'm on my own. And in that way if feels really good.

At the same time, my mom was right when she said that it means I'm going to have to crack down. I'm going to have to...gulp...grow up.

Ahhh, I said it! I'm going to have to become more responsible and take the initiative to get things done that need to be done.

In the spirit of this, I will be doing my first load of laundry tomorrow. ...right after beach blast.

Beach blast is this awesome event the school holds on the beach the day before classes start where you hang out on the beach and eat free food and get free t-shirts. It's the ultimate.

So after that happens, I will most definitely get to work on my mailbox, my books, and my laundry. When I want to, I can do well with time management. When I want to.

But for right now I'm trying to install antivirus on my computer. The school offers it for free. But for some reason I can't remember a password that I need to download the antivirus stuff or whatever. This might be a while...

Goodnight, dahlings :)

The Rainbow After the Rain

The title is quite ironic because it's raining now.

That's irrevelant.

The rain: I woke up feeling very lost. I wasn't sure what I was going to do today or who with, so I sat in my room by myself for an hour and a half doing nothing (during this time, my last post was published). Then, I thought my phone was permanently messed up. My iPhone that I haven't even had six months. And my Facebook account has been horrifically litered with spam. I now send a spam link to every single one of my online friends through chat. Every. Single. One.

The rainbow: I just spent the last two hours hanging out with three international students from Spain. Three boys. Three sexy accents. One in particular was exceptionally attractive. Also, my phone works.

My Facebook is still hacked, but I'm working on that issue. One step at a time.

Anyway, back to the Spaniards. Ho. Lee. Hades. Didn't I say today could end up being the best day of my life? Although this isn't, in reality, a contender in that race, tonight turned out to be pretty darn amazing. My friend from home and I have really connected with one of the girls staying in my friend's dorm. She is the coolest person ever. She's not afraid to talk to anyone. And by anyone, I mean ANYONE. Including and especially the international students. We met about half of the whole dorm in about thirty minutes.

And without her, the three of us wouldn't have hung out with the Spaniards.

That's what I will refer to them as. The Spaniards. They were so funny and its so interesting to talk to people from a different country. And to hear them say my name.

I also met a French guy and a Swiss guy, both of whom said my name in a way that made me want to melt. And my new friend almost literally melted when we talked to the Australian guys. So funny.

So now I can say that I have inside jokes with Spanish guys. Yes. Be jealous.

However, this Facebook spam thing is putting a HUGE damper to my Spanish high. So in light of the current issue, I'm going to cut this blog short and post tomorrow.

I usually like to end with some special sentence for dramatic effect, but I'm much too angry with this spam crap. So...night.

Second Day Bummers

I was totally going to wake up this morning at nine and go to breakfast in the cafeteria (which is referred to as 'Wag' here, so if i ever say 'Wag' that's what I mean), but I didn't wake up until ten thirty. Then I got ready and my suitemates left me and my roommate was gone before I even woke up and now I'm all alone in my room blogging...

At least my mom bought me groceries yesterday. I had a granola bar.

Anyway, so far the second day is proving to be a bust. Will this change? I don't know, this could end up being the best day of my life. I just hope if that's true something more exciting than this happens. Because sitting in my dorm alone with no one texting me back does NOT constitute for a 'best day of my life' by any means.

First Day Adventures

Today I went to college and got hypnotized.

Seriously. A hypnotist came to the school tonight and I went on stage and was hypnotized. Coolest experience of my life. It feels GREAT.

Anyway, I really, really like it. My room is all set up, my mom didn't cry (in front of me...I'm not sure about the ride home) I've skyped with my family and a few friends and I've been making new friends as well. My suitemates are really cool. My roommate is nice, from what I've talked to her, which isn't much so far. But overall I've had quite a good day.

More to come tomorrow for sure. Off to bed now...tootles!

Officiality

It's official. I'm moved in, situated, and said goodbye to my family. I am a college student.

So why is it that I still feel virtually nothing? Its like there's a small nagging in my tummy, but its not as mondo humongous as I'd expected. I think its going to take some time to sink in. When I start going to classes and sleep in my dorm room a few nights, I'll start to realize that I'm not going home. Not for a while anyway.

It's going to feel so backwards. I'm used to going on trips for a week or so at the time and being away from home for a while, but I know as time goes by its going to be weird not being in my own bed. Like a vacation gone wrong.

I mean, what am I going to do if I get in trouble? If I get sick? Sure, my mom bought me bandaids and hydrogen peroxide, but that doesn't replace the warm, loving touch felt when a mother applies the medicine.

My only hope is to really stay in touch with my friends that are here from home. I've already seen one of my best friends, who is also attending UNCW, and I'm going to try to meet up with the other tonight. Plus, I'm planning on getting together with another friend from home who moved to Wilmington. It's all going to be fine. I'm going to be fine.

And yet, I feel a weight pressing down harder and harder on my chest. That isn't going to get better any time soon, and I know it. Everyone has been telling me, "It will be hard, then you'll be fine, then it will be hard again." Can't we just skip to the 'it will be fine' part and freeze?

I just can't believe I'm here. I don't live with my parents. They won't feed me or help me with my homework or hold me when I cry. I'm on my own. I'm in college.

P.S. Officiality is not a word. Please do not try to use it in a school paper or in intelligent conversation. I completely made it up.

I'm Awake

Its here. Today is the freaking day. I'm leaving for college in less than one hour.

With every passing second I feel more nervous. And I JUST woke up.

I am happy, though, that my three and a half hours of sleep felt a lot more like five. Which is still pathetic, but whatever.

I'm about to get up now and get ready. Here I go...

Wish me luck?

Four hours, fifty minutes, and 32.7 seconds

Truth: I don't actually know how many seconds are left.

BUT that is the amount of time I have left at home. My home. I'm leaving my home.

I feel like a baby bird. My parents have fed me from their own beaks all my life and I've known nothing else. But now its time for me to fly away from the nest. Go out on my own. What if I fall? What if I don't even know how to fly? I suppose for a bird, it's an innate ability that is guaranteed at birth, but I'm human. I mean, I've ridden in airplanes before, but flying by myself??

Obviously, I wasn't really talking about flying. Unless someone will let me borrow a jet pack? Anyway, I think it goes without saying (but I'm going to say it anyway) that I'm a little nervous. I meant it when I said I've never known anything else. I've always had my parents at arm's length from me. I don't know how I'm going to survive without them. I mean, I have to wash my own clothes now! The horror!!

Well, considering I'm supposed to wake up in four hours, I should get some shut eye. Big day ahead...

Next time I blog, I'll be a college freshman.

Fresh meat. I hope the dogs on campus aren't too big...

The Ever Increasing and Unceasing Excitement

I just finished watching a movie called Sorority Wars. It was a vary typical Mean Gurls/Sydney White chick flick, but I love Lucy Hale, who plays the lead, and I really love those kinds of movies anyway. They were showing her at parties, making friends, and of course l, roping in a sexy dude and I realized that...holy crap...I'm going to be living that life very soon.

Obviously it's more likely to be much less stellar than a movie. But the movie successfully (though no doubt temporarily) chased out all the nervous butterflies from my stomach and warmed my feet a little. Well, the warm feet might be because I finally got up and grabbd a blanket, but you know what I mean. I'm just so...excited. I see my friends' Facebook (statuses? stati?) and the ones already at school and starting classes are raving about their respective school's magnificence. And I sit at my computer desk at my house, stare into the screen and think, "Only too soon will that be me." I just can't fathom it some days.

As excited as I am, I'm also extremely sad. I had to say bye to my absolute best friend in the world today. She's leaving on a family trip in the morning and won't be back until after I've left. Of course we already planned when she would visit me (she's a senior this year and therefore not going off to school anywhere) but at the same time it's going to strange not being able to spontaneously sleep over at each other's houses or watch moves together every night or see each other in the hallways at school and laugh about something that no one else would think is funny. She's going to be one of the hardest parts of leaving this dump.

A lot to catch up on...

Okay. These are the former and current deals.

Former: Prior to today, the past week has been a horrible, terrible, twisting and sickening emotional roller coaster ride.

Current: I am mentally frolicking through a field of teal flowers.

I guess I should explain. I thought I wasn't going to college.

We didn't have any funding for this semester and I didn't fill out my FAFSA on time and I thought I was going to be deferred until the spring but my school can't do that and told me I'd have to wait until next year to go to school and I threw a complete and utter fit and wailed to my mom and screamed that their had to be a way and....

That's actually not an exaggeration. I can't begin to explain to any person on this planet how I felt. I could hardly breathe. I skipped a grade in middle school, and I was feeling so utterly broken and worthless and like all my accomplishments and skipping a grade meant absolutely nothing anymore. I thought I was going to be stuck in my wretched (its not that wretched, it just really, really feels that way) home town for a whole extra year doing absolutely nothing but looking up scholarships for next year and going to work. I thought I was going to DIE. I wouldn't have even had to commit suicide because I would just slowly wither away until my mom came to wake up one day and found a pile of dust on my bed.

So. Moving on to the good part. (Cue the smoke...drum roll please...)

I absolutely hate college websites. They are so confusing. I was told in one email that if I didn't pay my fall bill by August 11 that my classes would be cancelled. We hadn't paid my fall bill by August 11; however, I had not received an email saying my classes had, in fact, been cancelled. So today I went down to UNC Wilmington to get the deal straight. They told me that since my FAFSA was still being processed, I still had the opportunity for loans and grants to be offered to me and that I had to accept them or come up with the money some other way by August 31. When I saw my classes on the woman's computer screen in the Student Account Services website, I almost peed on myself.

I. Still. Had. A. Chance.

I. Was. Going. To. College.

I had to sit down, and my wonderful "big sis" (we're not really related, but we look alike and love each other like sisters) patted my back and smiled goofily and happily with me. I could hardly breathe again, but this time it was a much more pleasant experience of a shortage of oxygen.

So we walked around campus for a bit and visited the gift shop and all that, then hit up the mall and Target for some awesome school shopping. I got an amazingly cute book bag/laptop bag, bed sheets and a comforter, crates for traveling and packing, a laundry hamper and a bathroom caddy. And thats just the beginning.

I feel more ready than ever for Saturday. That's the day my life will change. That's the day that I truly flip the page of my life's book and begin a new chapter. Saturday, August 20, 2011 is the first day of the rest of my life.

Preparation...sort of.

I leave for college in sixteen days. I have done nothing.

I haven't started packing. I haven't bought a raincoat or a shower caddy. I haven't mentally prepared myself for the insane complications or the incredible experiences. I think I'm in denial.

I guess it still hasn't hit me that I'm leaving. I keep telling myself that I'll pack as soon as I clean my room. Then I wake up in the morning and think, "Ugh, I'm much too tired to clean. Plus it'll take a whole twenty-four hours to straighten out this catastrophe, and I have to work today! I'll do it tomorrow." Seriously, those are my thoughts verbatim. I'm a master procrastinator, in case anyone was wondering...

I just feel like I still have all this time. I was actually going to borrow money from my friend the other day and thought to myself, "It's fine, I'll pay her back. Even if it's after school starts back. I have time." Then I quickly slapped myself in the back of the head (mentally, of course) and reminded myself of the fact that she is not attending the same school I am and if I forget to pay her back before school starts back (I forget things...a lot) then she may very well never get the money. It's sad.

I have a funny and completely random story. I was reading my last post again right before writing this one and saw the part at the end about aliens changing my password. They must have because I just had to go through the obnoxiously tedious process of "Forgot My Password." Those darn aliens...

Anyway. I'm going to end this post with a vow. I promise to at least BEGIN cleaning my room tomorrow. I have to wake up early for an orthodontist appointment anyway, so I won't have the "I'm just so tired, I think I'll just roll over instead..." excuse. That one is also pretty common. What can I say...procrastination is an extremely hard habit to break. And I had a LOT of practice in high school.