I never thought I would be spending my first summer of college away from home. I always assumed I would be vacationing at my house on the river with my friends and family. In the past year, I have gained an entire new group of friends that have made college my new home. I even got the opportunity to spend the summer in my sorority house! I know, a house full of sorority girls sounds like complete madness, and the usual atmosphere of a sorority house, to the girls who don’t already live there, consists of constant chaos. Whether it’s study hours, special events, or the crazy pre-chapter mayhem, sorority houses are known for their excitement. If you don’t live there, you may not necessarily see what’s behind the scenes. Rather than running to the house every Sunday night in my heels trying to make it to chapter on time, I pull up the driveway and unlock the front door with my own set of keys and walk into our very quiet house. Between work, the gym, and summer classes, it’s difficult to find time to go to the pool or binge watch Gossip Girl on Netflix. I thought that my hard work during freshmen year would be rewarded by a great summer, and though it’s been wonderful so far, I realize now that there’s no going back to the easy days of high school.

I don’t intend for my experience to sound so dull. Over the course of this weekend, I have gotten a new job, discovered roasted corn (yes, that’s a thing), spent an afternoon on the lake, and visited a sketchy, mildly entertaining, flea market. The Santuck Flea Market is one of the few places where you can buy a slice of pizza, a baby chick, and a machete for less than $10. I even bought a gift for my future little and, if she asks, I paid more than 75 cents for it. This flea market is my newest guilty pleasure, and I recommend it to every broke college student. You also become more cultured by the many people who work there. The SFM vendors are not ordinary people, as they can range from farmers to gypsies. I went to go look at one vendor's tent to look at a Bob Marley plate, but I discovered it wasn’t exactly made to hold cupcakes. He tried to sell me a matching grinder as well. I also met a very sweet lady who let me taste some of her delicious strawberry pineapple tea, which she insisted would make a great mixed drink. Between my friends and I, the purchases included: three marshmellow guns, bed sheets, safari hats, homemade candles, vintage Polos, and like I said, a very delicious glass of strawberry pineapple tea (liquor not included.) The Santuck Flea Market may not be the most luxurious operation, but I’ll definitely be back. Hopefully this weekend was only one of many adventures that I will partake in during my first summer away from home!