For anyone who can relate, here are some thoughts I had during my first week home that pretty much sums up the transition from city to small hometown.
1. Cars: I actually have to drive one now.
GiphyI was so used to walking everywhere around campus, or if I had to go anywhere, I'd take an Uber, Lyft, or even the subway. The concept of having to drive a car at this point is so foreign to me.
2. Food is not in within walking distance anymore.
GiphyIf I used to get hungry at 1 am, my roommates and I would get Insomnia, order pizza, or just see if anything is open. Around lunch time, we could walk across the street to the many restaurants, go to any of the dinning halls, walk across campus for other places to eat, or even go into center city. Now, I have to drive 10 minutes for the closest place to eat. This is very depressing for me.
3. "Ok, now I have to actually look appealing when I go somewhere."
GiphyAt school, if I had to run to the grocery store or something, I'd walk out of my room in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. The only people I was likely to see was another person from class, who was also most likely sporting the same attire as I was. Now, I have to try when I go out. I can see people ranging from: my neighbor, my 4th-grade teacher, my high school guidance counselor, an ex, ya never know.
4. There is that one spot in town that everyone goes to, so you just know you'll run into someone there.
GiphyFor me, it's an ice cream place down the street from my house called Handles. Everyone (and I really mean everyone) goes here.
5. Since it is a small town, if you see someone, you have to stop and have a 5 minute conversation on how your first year of college went.
GiphyResponses range from... "I love Temple so much, I'm so glad I picked it.", "Yes, I met a lot of friends!", "Yes, I still keep in contact with my roommates, they are pretty cool."
6. When there is that one person you see that you have not talked to in forever, and you do not want today to be the day you start again.
GiphyDodge and run, dodge and run, dodge and run.
7. There is absolutely nothing to do.
GiphyConversations go a little like this...
me: mom, I'm bored, want to do something?
mom: we could go see a movie.
me: is there anything else we can do?
mom: ...we can go see a different movie.
8. There is no night life, it is way too quite now.
GiphyFor a college campus that is in the city, everyone knows that the school never really gets quiet. There are always cars on Broad Street, you can hear the subway, and people are walking around campus. There is just always some type of noise. At home, I get the occasional cricket chirp at night.
9. Comparing your college experiences with the other people that went further away from home becomes a game.
GiphyAll of a sudden every cool or weird thing you did during your first year at school becomes part of a bragging game.
10. There is at least one thing that you will say you like about your small town.
GiphyThough I would 100% say I am not a small town person, at all, I truly did miss the relaxation of the seasons. I always thought my area had a really pretty change of each season because of how much greenery and plants there are. I love when I came back for the summer that everything was so green and colorful. You don't see much of that in a city, though Temple really does try their best with it.
I'm ready for this summer, but can't wait to go back to my second home.
You'll probably hear....
1. "We get free time after this, right?"
Likely, if you're at a sorority convention, you're going to spend the majority of your days in business meetings and educational sessions. Napping is a must to keep yourself from going insane. Plus, you're probably in a new destination! You're going to want to explore with your friends. Get the most out of the trip, right?
2. "Are they really serving us the same chicken for the third day in a row?"
Hotel food is no joke. The food they serve when feeding massive crowds already has low expectations, but now and then, it's on a whole other level of awful. You'l quickly learn that there's a billion ways to make the same cut of chicken.
3. "Excuse me, we're going to need more bread."
...and because of that, you'll want to fill up on as much bread as possible. You don't know when your next decent meal will be.
4. "That's it, it's time to go to the bar."
What vacation (if you classify this as one, and many people do), is complete without a drink by the pool or an evening glass of wine with your gal pals? These event organizers are smart. There's always a bar either in the venue, or within walking distance. If you're in the alumnae community, this could be the first time in years you've had a drink with a group of your sisters. Treat yourself!
5. "Does this go on the chapter card?"
If you're a collegian, however, money is tight. You'll likely try to milk that chapter card for every meal, every tank of gas, and every night of wifi. After all, conventions are usually pretty pricey. Not to mention, your money has probably gone to all of the greek merchandise you bought on the first day...
6. "When I was a collegian, we had girl fights!"
Connecting with women who have entered the alumnae community is so special, and convention is one of those times when people can do so without the distractions of regular chapter business or time constraints of school. You're in the same building for several days, and the stories that will come from that might shock you. You'll most likely find out that your advisors are actually pretty cool, and you'll want to be like them when you grow up. They're pretty badass.
7. "Oh honey, the Starbucks is closed because we ran them out of their inventory."
Sorority women consume caffeine on a whole other level. If nationals expects a twelve-hour day out of us, we need our fuel.
8. "I need your dress from yesterday."
It's a basic way of sorority life. Clothes get tossed around for everything. Likely, one dress will have been worn either by the same person to every chapter meeting, or by a different member to each meeting. Either way, get ready to play "The sisterhood of the traveling dress".
9. "I love y'all, but it's time to go home and nap."
Once you've completed all of your duties of convention business, you'll likely be exhausted. After all, having fun can be tiring, right? Enjoy that first nap back home.
Are you attending a greek convention soon? Prepare yourself.
