It’s a little bit sad how excited I get when I realize it’s a blogging day. I’m often tempted to blog more often, but then I remind myself that I have homework and a life to live and I can’t just blog about every little thing that makes me happy. Because then this blog would be reduced to “today I played pool with Ellen” and “I watched an entire season of Avatar in two days”. You don’t care about things like that, not enough to toon in to a blog that’s only about a sentence long.
Which leads me to a point. I’m still excited every time I go and do something that’s “collegian”. Take right now for instance. I made some tea, grabbed my books, and headed to the library’s 24 hour study room to get some homework done. This was apparently such a monumental occasion that I had to DailyBooth it immediately. The caption? “Tea in a to go thermos, messenger bag, library study session. That’s SO college”
It occurs to me that I still don’t really believe that I’m in college. Like, I’m doing homework and stuff and realizing how difficult it is to feed myself on a budget, but the whole experience hasn’t really sunk it. Apparently, it takes little things like playing pool until midnight at the local billiards place or watching A Very Potter Musical until one in the morning in someone’s dorm room or going to a music practice room with someone with the express purpose of singing Darren Criss songs to remind me that yes, in fact, I AM in college 17 hours away from home.
That’s another thing. Although the climate is beautifully different up here, it doesn’t really feel like I’m that far away. Something in me is convinced that my mom is going to ask me to pick up coffee on my way home. That my dad is going to stop by the bookstore I’m browsing to say hi because I really don’t talk to him enough. That my brother is going to complain to me that I’m making the internet slow at the house. That this dorm room I’ve gotten used to is just an illusion, something that I’ll be moving out of in a few days.
But I know that none of that is true. I really do have the freedom to spend a day traveling into Portland and buying too many books. I really can go get ice cream whenever I want, because it’s within walking distance. I really get to eat whatever I want for breakfast, lunch, and dinners*.
It’s a surreal discovery that I can do essentially whatever I want, whenever I want. Some people use this power to party, drink heavily, and then play mean pranks on each other. Some people use it to experiment with their sexuality and the sexuality of those around them.
Me? I’ve used my newfound power watching YouTube videos while eating Cap’n Crunch dry and straight out of the box, playing pool a lot while heckling whoever happens to be with me, and harassing Gavin from next door into abandoning productivity to entertain me.
*It turns out that as exciting as this was in the beginning, it’s really not a freedom I should have. Almond and dark chocolate fiber granola bar dipped in peanut butter for breakfast? Don’t mind if I do!
I love it!