1. Three words: Expect the unexpected.
Yeah, there's a reason I began with this one. If someone were to have told me that within my first month of college, I'd be hit with a category 1 hurricane and a disease outbreak, I would have certainly laughed in their face. I can't complain about the six day weekend Hurricane Hermine (or as everyone jokingly loved to call it- Hurricane Harambe) brought me. But what I do have the right to complain about is the fact that my syllabus week was cut painfully short. And the disease? Hand, foot, and mouth disease. What's that you ask? A disease spread amongst infants, that somehow made its way to my campus. Well, it quickly spread within the Greek community, forcing them to cancel one night of the rush week for the guys. Come on Florida State, I just wanted to meet some nice pledges.
2. My dog is the single greatest living thing on the planet.
I always knew going away to school was going to be a big change. And I always knew I was going to, truthfully, miss my dog more than anyone else (sorry mom and dad). But what I didn't realize was how freaking much I would miss him. There's just something irreplaceable about my best friend. WARNING: Avoid showing me a picture of him. Tears will surface.
3. Having a long-distance best friend has to be one of the most difficult things in the entire world.
This ones a toughie. I truly didn't realize the difficulties that would come with having a best friend at another school. She may be in the same state, but honestly, it's easier to escape this state than to travel to the bottom of it. An hour flight to Atlanta sure beats the six hour drive to Fort Myers. Hey, Southwest Florida International Airport- step up your game and add Tallahassee to your list of destinations.
4. I actually am capable of waking myself up in the morning (although, I can't say I enjoy it)
Anyone who knows me, knows. For my entire eighteen years of living, I have been the worst when it came to waking up in the morning. I was a camp counselor's worst nightmare because I didn't sleep at night, and didn't wake up in the morning. I'd get the same question every year: "how are you going to wake up for college?" and I would always shrug it off- because, honestly, I didn't even know the answer to that question. But now, here I am. I made it, and somehow I am able to wake up in the morning. So what, I may have eight alarms that go off in 5-10 minute intervals. It gets me out of bed, and it's getting me an education.
5. Uber drivers are people too.
I love Uber. I really do. It may drain my wallet immensely, but I love the conveniency of having someone to drive me anywhere and everywhere with simply the push of a button. Everytime I step into my uber with my friends, I'm always the one who starts the conversation. I begin with a simple asking of how their day has gone, and slowly progress into more entertaining conversing. My go-to question: "have any crazy customer stories?" Never fails to get a slight chuckle out of them. Uber drivers in general have some crazy experiences, but Uber drivers in Tallahassee? Now that's something else. But seriously, I love getting to know each driver that I come into contact with. These people are just like you and me, except they're making big bucks with these crazy surges and I'm still a broke college student.
6. Dorm life sucks, but hey, I could have it worse.
Ah, the perks of being a freshman... My personal favorite, living on campus. "It's a part of the experience" they'll tell you. Yeah, well, dorm life kinda sucks. You get crammed into these tiny rooms and are basically expected to convert your entire home into it. At your actual home, everything has its place. You eat in the kitchen, at the kitchen table. Your make up is done in the bathroom, on the counter. Your studying is done in your room, at your desk. Dorm life doesn't exactly work that way. Your desk is your kitchen table. Your desk is your counter for dolling yourself up in make-up. And your desk, operates as a desk. Every utensil, tool, or piece of equipment you would need in the duration of a year at home, is now expected to fit in this small room being shared. I could say I'm kinda lucky though, getting to live in the newest dorm on campus. I guess I am lucky, but I can't deny I'm still counting the days until I have my own place.
7. I took living by the beach for granted.
It's Friday afternoon, and my only class of the day concludes. What do I want to do? Go to the beach, of course. What can't I do? Go to the beach, of course. All my life, I've lived 20 minutes away from the beach. If I decided I want to go on a whim, it was an easy thing. Throw on a swimsuit, grab a towel, a water or two, some friends, and I was all set. Now I'm almost 500 miles away from home, and the beach has gone from being 20 miles away from my place of residence, to 90 miles away. Ask me if I'm okay with this. The answer, spoiler alert... not at all.
8. You say you won't miss anything about home life. You're wrong.
I've always been an extremely independent kid. When I was just five years old, I went to sleep away camp for the very first time. I went with my brother. Just a year later, at only six years old, my brother stopped going to camp and I went by myself. How did I get there? I flew. By myself, at six? Yes. I thought that I was totally ready to go away, that I was ready for something new. And I was, but I think I truly underestimated how much I would miss certain aspects of home. Don't get me wrong... I do not desire to go home, at the very least. But I can admit to missing certain things about home life. What are those things you may ask? My mother's cooking, of course. Snuggling with my little baby boy. Having my own room. Family Shark Tank nights around the TV. And certainly, Lime Mexican Grill.
