When I first started attending Appalachian State University last year, I often compared myself to the gang from my favorite childhood television show "Avatar: The Last Airbender." I was traveling to new places, meeting all kinds of interesting people, and I was exposed to new ideas and cultures; Just like Aang and his friends on their journey to unite the four nations. Here are 11 pictures/gifs from "ATLA" that describe all the crazy things we see and go through at Appalachian State.
Making your way to Walker Hall is as long as the journey to Ba Sing Se.
Walker Hall. *cringes* Everyone knows the name is fitting because it's literally on the outskirts of campus. Sometimes I feel as if it's taking me a season and a half just to get there... like how it took Team Avatar that long to get to the Earth Kingdom City of Ba Sing Se. It takes crossing streets, going through tunnels, and avoiding so many bad drivers that it feels like the hardest journey I'll ever go on.
The slackliners and hippies on Sandford Mall are real life Earth Nomads from "The Cave of Two Lovers."
We all remember the iconic episode "The Cave of Two lovers" where Aang and Katara finally share their first kiss. However, what made this episode even more memorable was the nature-loving and hippie-like Earth Nomads that help Team Avatar on their way to Omashu. Need I say more?
The library will become your sanctuary.
Do you ever find yourself still in the library at 3 am on a Tuesday night with copious amounts of caffine still running through your veins? It happens to the best of us. It is best to embrace what Belk Library has to offer. You really can sit down and get your shit together there. However, you don't have to be as enthusiastic as Sokka.
Speaking of caffeine and Sokka...
Limit yourself. Please. Crossroads loves your business, but they close for a reason. Caffeine can have similar side effects to the infamous "cactus juice."
When people aren't wearing shoes and all you can think about is Toph.
If Toph didn't wear shoes to be able to see, I guess you don't need shoes to learn? Just put some on when you walk into central... please. I never understood why so many people walked around campus without shoes. Maybe they are all secretly earthbenders.
When the scary preachers attack you like the Fire Nation attacked everyone else.
Okay, so maybe I'm over exaggerating a little. But when you walk on campus during a beautiful sunny day and see the preachers that yell hate, there is a pretty big shift in the air. There is way too much fighting between the preachers and the students. It just gets plain ugly.
When that one bad test grade makes you feel like you have lost everything, including your honor.
We all have that one test that we stay up all night for and think we finally have the material down. But just when you think you aced it, you get back a grade that isn't too honorable. No amount of avatar hunting will fix your grade; just some more hard core studying in the magic, sinking library.
When you feel like you finally have your s**t together, and then the something happens to ruin your day.
When you try your best but you don't succeed... Just like the cabbage man. All he wanted to do was sell cabbages, but something always got in his way. Just when you think you finally have it all together, your cabbage cart gets destroyed. Or maybe you accidentally leave your textbook in class. Or maybe you left your backpack on the pink bus...again. We have all identified with the cabbage man one way or another. At least we can count on our good days...unlike him.
Once finals roll around, the waterbender inside you is unleashed.
The amount of emotional breakdowns and tears shed ultimately proves that deep down, everyone is a waterbender...or maybe a tearbender? I always thought I was an airbender until finals rolled around.
The weather in Boone becomes too much.
Have you ever LITERALLY been blown over by the wind and snow? I have. Going into my freshman year, I knew the weather was going to be somewhat unpredictable. However, the inconstancy really threw me off a first. It will be 70 in the morning, snowing by the afternoon, and hailing by dinnertime. And this is just in September. Don't even get me started on the winter.
The weather in the spring and summer is totally worth it.
Ah, the spring and summertime. It's the best time to be in Boone, and on campus especially. The flowers bloom, the slackliners are back outside and not in class, and a plethora of enos hang from every tree possible. It truly is the best time to be an Appalachian Student.
The nerd inside me is truly fangirling over ATLA right now. I hope you were able to identify with some of our favorite characters from one of the most loved Nickelodeon shows of our childhood. YIP YIP.
