The Path

Ahh, it was so nice to have Kayla home for the weekend.  I am still caught by surprise by the lovely young woman Kayla has become.  It still is a bit strange to me that she is no longer a kid or a teenager that needs routine parental supervision.  She's taking care of herself, doing what she needs to do, and she's on the path to making a successful life for herself. 

She has always had a clear goal of wanting to be a teacher, and she has not waivered in that goal.  Now, she's in college to be a Spanish teacher, and after being there for just a couple of weeks, she is looking at this goal very clearly, and making sure she is on the right path to achieve it.  Right now, big questions loom, "is this the right college for this degree...would it be better for me to be at a different college and finish in 4 years and then work on my Masters while teaching?"  All good questions, and amazing that someone so young is so focused and clear in her vision. 

I'm glad she's thinking of these things and moving in the right direction.  But, I don't want her to worry too much about the future.  Like I told her, if she takes care of doing what she needs to do each day, the future will take care of itself.  Looking at the big picture is sometimes too overwhelming.  Just take it day by day, step by step, Kayla, and you will end up exactly where you are meant to be.

A Visit to Home

First visit back to my pretty little village this weekend! I know, I know, 18 days doesn't SEEM like a long time to be away but it is when you're used to being there every single day! I enjoyed some good old-fashioned Northwoods fish fry with the parents, a relaxing evening of watching "Sophie's Choice" with Mom (which by the way...is not a happy movie! Prepare to be traumatized by her "choice!"), grocery shopping at Trig's, baking a homemade apple pie, walking along the Bearskin Trail while the leaves are starting to turn, tons of delicious food prepared by the world's best cook (yes that's you Mom), cheering on the fabulous Pack for another victory for a 2-0 record thus far, and of course, sleeping in my wonderful bed that I do not have to climb up to :). Oh yeah, I saw those siblings who I dearly missed as well, but not much has changed (meaning the words "Tyler! Stop!" were still present in the house.) I drove a car instead of walking to where I needed to go, took a shower in a tub, not a stall, and kicked back on our big comfy couch, not a little futon.

And what a nice weekend it was, but I realized a few things. Home is comforting, familiar, relaxing, and gives you the sense that life will eventually work itself out from the unsurity and "overwhelmingness" that is college. College, on the other hand, is independent, exciting, inquisitive, and new. I love my family more than anything but they can't come to college with me! That would be some sad plot to a movie where the kid is too homesick and makes her parents live in the dorm with her...come on. Minocqua is my home, and who knows, eventually maybe it will be my kids' someday as well! But right now, I'm here, in one of the biggest metro areas in the nation, home to the country's largest Mall, (and worst football team...sorry Minnesotans!), and I am having an experience I will remember forever. And you know what else? I really don't miss unloading the dishwasher :)

These things I miss...

These things I miss:

• reading the local paper and enjoying spotting the errors (for instance, an article this week attempted to write "voila" at the end of a recipe, but instead the author wrote "walla")
• extra friends coming over at dinner time
• helping to curl hair (because a girl from the 80's knows how to work a curling iron better than anyone!)
• coming home to a clean kitchen because Kayla, like me, cannot stand a messy kitchen
• waking up to coffee on the mornings Kayla woke up before me
• saying "good night, I love you" every night
• proofreading the writing assignments for various school courses
• being asked, "What's for supper?"

These things I don't miss:

• starting the car to find the gas tank empty
• washing loads of jeans
• trying to figure out which socks are hers and which are mine
• helping with calculus problems I could no longer solve
• having my closet rummaged through to find clothes for a play set in the 1920's
• seeing clothes I just wore to work worn as costumes in a play set in the 1920's
• being asked "What's for supper?"

College...Week 1!

Here I am cuddled up on my purple futon watching the VMAs with a couple of my new friends. (Go Ke$ha, Go Ke$ha!) I have completed my first week of classes, and am at the tail end of my first college weekend (the last one doesn't count thanks to all of the orientation madness--see last week's post.) How do I even begin to write about all that's been happening? All the adjustments? All the innate "college-ness" I've already experienced in my first 13 days here at the U? The beginning I guess!

Thanks to that glorious holiday called Labor Day that nobody really understands the meaning of, I started my academic career at the U on Tuesday. At 8 am. Now, this means I need to leave my dorm room at 7:35 to make the long haul across campus to Spanish class. Monday through Friday. Thank God that 3 days a week this is my ONLY class (so yes...naps at 9:30 am are starting to have a special place in my heart.) I actually really like all of my classes so far, at least they seem pretty interesting! And I'm very proud of myself...I'm doing really good at "reading critically" and taking notes in the meanwhile. Hopefully this diligence lasts :S

Yay...now I can talk about the weekend! The "Big 10 Atmosphere" is so awesome on Saturday afternoons, just as you would expect. Every single person on this campus is donning their maroon and gold Gopher gear (I even made sure my earrings were these colors!) This weekend we took on the USD Coyotes which, unfortunately, didn't end in our favor. Yeah yeah...I KNOW Minnesota isn't that good of a football team but it was still so much fun! It was a pretty high scoring game so at least I got the excitement of cheering after touchdowns and getting into the groove of all the Minnesota traditions (like the "key jingling" at kickoff, the counting of Goldy's push-ups after each point scored, and the first-down cheerings and chants.) And of course, Saturday nights are, to say the least, "bumpin'." Huge houses. Legit DJ, (indoors and out). Strobe lights. Enough said.

I decided Sundays are the universal "sleep in too late, chill in pj's, do a little homework, watch the Packer game (that's right-Go Pack Go!), chill more, eat, sleep" kind of day. Its weird how I can walk around in sweats and barely any make-up on and I'm not the only one! Today I went out and layed in the grass in the middle of the lawn by my dorm and did a bunch of reading, I felt so college! I also feel this way when I have to walk up a floor to print one sheet of paper (annoying), when I text Mom asking her what setting to dry my clothes on (I'll get the hang of it eventually), and when I receive care packages from the best mom ever complete with a coffee mug, Packer jersey, and bucket of Minocqua's famous chocolate & caramel and cheese popcorn (I am so loved!)

I still miss home alot. It's getting better each day, which I knew it would, but I mostly miss the comfort of being with my family, and the familiarity of all my friends who are now spread across the Midwest. It helps to know that I'm not the only one who feels like this though, that every freshman in every college across the nation is adjusting to a new life. I'm blessed to know the people who have already walked into my life as new friends, this fact alone lets me know that I'm bound to love college. People always tell me that their best friends are from college, and I see that proof with adults I know, my parents included! I just need to be patient, let things fall into place, and enjoy each new day at this new place with SO much to offer.

Oh! PS) My "tight" jeans now just fit normally. Maybe this enormous campus with all the mundane walking it requires will do me some good. :)

The Drop Off

Wednesday morning, we woke very early to finish packing the car, and then to drive Kayla to the dorm.  The trip was pleasant, just Tom, Kayla and myself.  Tyler and Brittany both had their first day of 9th and 8th grade, and neither wanted to miss the first day of school.  Not that there would have been room in the car, anyhow.  So, I made the kids a pot of coffee, wrote them a nice note with a reminder to take their own "first day of school" pictures, and off we went.

When we arrived, the parking spaces around the dorm were busy with parents and kids unloading the "stuff" that freshmen bring to their dorm.  We borrowed a big laundry cart, transferred the "stuff" into it, and off we went into her room.  The dorm room was tiny, much like a jail cell.  Both beds were lofted with a desk under each.  Kayla seemed surprisingly overwhelmed at the thought of finding room for all of the "stuff" she brought, so, we stayed and helped her until each item had a new home.  I was happy and excited up until this point, when that thought hit me, "This is not just the 'stuff's' new home, it is Kayla's new home." 

We walked outside to say our goodbyes, and that's when the tears began to flow.  Kayla said, "Thank you for raising me."  I just hugged her.  I felt foolish walking back to my car with my eyes watering so much.  It felt like I was the only one crying, everybody else seemed to be fine. 

Well, we went to have a nice relaxing lunch at Olive Garden, and I had time to figure out why I was crying.  I am not sad that she is at college, I am happy about that.  I am crying more because this is a milestone event in our lives, marking the time between "being a kid and living at home" and "being an adult who has moved away from home."  Things just feel different now.  And, the way I am, I cry when I'm happy. 

Welcome to the U of M!

Well, I've officially been living in Frontier Hall on the b-e-a-utiful University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus for 4 days now. A loooooong 4 days of orientation and Welcome Week activities jammed one after the other in attempt to keep these new freshman from partying I guess. (That's at least my theory...haha.) My feelings are back and forth on this, at some points I'm overly excited, just so anxious to actually start classes and "settle" in, it still kinda feels like I'm at a camp for a week. Other times I'm having a blast with new friends (we had way too much fun on the "Fairly Odd Coaster" at the Mall of America last night), starting new inside jokes with my roomie and hall-mates ("Know the code," and mocking my retainer lisp), and rolling our eyes at the utter cluelessness of our orientation leader. Throughout these 4 days, I've successfully taken 3 showers, (having tried each of the 3 shower stalls in my hall's bathroom in attempt to find the one with the perfect amount of water pressure to suit my taste), eaten a few meals at the dorm restaurant (I am starting to realize I can't eat at The Grill, The Exhibition Station, The Dessert Station, and The Salad Bar for every meal, I have to start "choosing"--I know, sad), and walked enough to feel like I'm at Disney World every day--Welcome to College, right?!

Oh, and another one of my "feelings" that has graced me with its presence over these past 96 hours. Homesickness. I've realized, the worst of all sicknesses. But its only when I'm alone and not doing anything that I think about it! Which is not too often so hopefully I will keep myself busy and meet more people to stave off this deathly-illness as much as possible :S

Here are 2 "highlights" of Welcome Week (meaning some of the activities that I didn't skip and/or daydream out of boredom in): 1) Convocation. Sooooo awesome. The entire class of 2014 gathered in the hockey arena (which I now know the name of...Mariucci Arena..yes, be proud!) and we were adressed by the University's president and given our 2014 Graduation tassels as motivation. The marching band came out and played a few songs and I got chills everywhere, I almost wanted to cry! The fact that I am now a part of this amazing, reknowned University is so surreal, so humbling, so amazing, so life-changing. 2) Pride and Spirit. Again, the whole class was in the TCF Bank Stadium, the home of the Golden Gophers, and the band, cheerleaders, football coach, and Goldy led us in learning some of Minnesota's football spirit traditions. (I think I still will run over to YouTube to learn the Rouser and March before next Saturday's first home game! By the way, as of now, we are 1-0 :) .) This was also when we made the big Minnesota "M" in the field as a class...that pic above is us "in the process."

So, I am now a Golden Gopher. I am in the place where even Mother Nature lets the trees turn Maroon & Gold. I am in the place where I can rightfully say "We are...Minnesota!"

I've come to a conclusion. Going to college and leaving home for college are two totally separate things. The big question people are asking me these days is "So are you excited?!" Excited for...a new city with thousands upon thousands of new people to meet? Yes! To not be able to yell good-night down the stairs before bed anymore? No. Excited for the amazing school spirit and atmosphere of a Big 10 school? Who wouldn't be?! To not cram into the undersized student section of bleachers at Lakeland High to cheer our T-Birds to victory on a Friday night? Its one of the things I'll miss the most. I can't wait to decorate my dorm, let my roomie and hall-mates know what they got themselves into by having me in such close quarters (I tend to dance obnoxiously, sing loud, scare and scream easy, snore, and do an annoying throat-clearing noise when I get allergies), and tackle the not-so-lovely task of studying. Not just studying for my classes, actually figuring out how to study. (Yes, that might just be an early SOS.) But I can't bear not being able to just "meet at the high school" on a Saturday night to "find something to do" and eventually end up driving the famous "Minocqua 500" a dozen times, listening to music, and crashing at the nearest friend's house after stuffing our faces with pretzels and Nutella. I hope homesickness doesn't hit me hard but...dumb parents, they made way too great a life for me here in Minocqua, I don't want to leave them! (At least I'm not leaving for Ohio Buckeye territory...my naive sophomore mind was even worse at geography and distances than it is now. A week ago I thought Duluth and Minneapolis were 7 hours apart. So yeah, even now I'm real good at that.) So back to the question: Am I excited? For college life? Oh my gosh you have no idea! To leave the only town I've ever known and not be a maximum-10-minute-drive from all the people I've grown up with? Absolutely not. Luckily, the leaving part is quick, I mean, you can really only "leave for school" once, right? Well that's a relief, because I hear this whole "college" thing is really quite a blast.