I’m a guy’s girl. I grew up with an older brother who pretty much taught me everything I know, I am mildly obsessed with sports, I wore Converse to prom (and saw nothing weird with that), and for most of my life, my really good friends have always been guys.
Needless to say, when I told my friends back home that I was going through sorority recruitment, I was greeted by looks of surprise and some laughs. The idea of me being in a sorority was comical to say the least. Even so, I went through rush, which was scary in its own right, and ended up in Alpha Delta Pi, which, to be honest, was terrifying.
It isn’t that ADPi itself was terrifying, but being in a sorority was. On bid day I wasn’t sure that this whole Greek life thing was for me.
Everyone was hugging. We hadn’t had our bid cards open for five seconds before everyone was running around to various banners, hugging their friends, and screaming. Then we got on a bus and went to wherever our Bid Day locations were, and there was more hugging and excitement and dancing and squealing. That wasn’t what I was used to. These weren’t the high fives of my youth. It was different.
Soon after the sparkle-y newness of it all faded, we went back to our house and started going over some basics about our chapter and how we do things. Most importantly, I learned I couldn’t wear sneakers to some events, including chapter. Again, I was the girl who wore my Chucks to prom. This was concerning. I look like Bambi on ice skates while wearing heels, and flats have just never been my thing. Once again, I was learning that this wasn’t what I was used to.
When I got back to my dorm after Bid Day, I felt overwhelmed. Everyone was already so sisterly. I felt kind of out of place, and I couldn’t really handle it. I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting when I joined a sorority, but I thought it would be a little more gradual, whatever it was. I had cold feet.
Once the Bid Day Buzz was over though, some of the things I had been missing by always having guy friends came to the surface. You will always have someone to sing Taylor Swift with at Lonnie’s. (Or like anywhere. Is there ever a bad time for T-Swift?!?!?!). On snow days, you will get emails about High School Musical marathons and blanket fort-making. Someone will always know if your outfit clashes/looks bad/ how to do hair and makeup. Your big really will be the Best Big Ever (sorry everyone, Torie wins).
Finally, it is overwhelmingly sisterly, right off the bat. You can’t walk across campus anymore without seeing one of your sisters, and they will always smile or say hey. If you’re having a rough time, someone will text you to make sure you’re doing okay, and will be there if you need to talk. These girls don’t know you yet, but you have just inherited around 150 sisters who want to be your friend. And that’s pretty great.
