Once you get that acceptance letter and you begin packing your bags the word that comes to my mind is, home.
Home for the next x number of years.
When you’re in the car/plane/bus/train or whatever mode of transport you’re using to get to your new home, the next word that comes to my mind is excitement.
No more parents waking you up at ungodly hours.
No more packing a bag with all the necessities for 7 long hours of school.
No more rules, only guidelines.
Now when the excitement hits, there’s that inevitable feeling that accompanies it. Nervousness.
Who am I going to talk to? Who’s going to be my roommate? What are my classmates like? Who am I going to befriend?
Who am Igoing to be?
When you finally get there and you’re lost in the swarm, pretending like you know exactly what you’re doing and where you’re going. Trying to muster up courage or maybe smother your ego to ask someone for help. What you might feel is scared, lost, sick and just a hint of exhilaration.
There’s an emptiness when you enter your new room and a loneliness when sitting through orientation. Lucky, if you’ve somehow managed to make a few friends.
The first week may suck or be incredible but eventually you’ll begin to hope. You’ll forget the embarrassing moments and giggle at the hilarious ones.
And finally, you’ll begin to live. Because college is the one place where you’ll learn so many more words.
Love
Passion
Struggle
Achievement
Loss
Disagreement
Euphoria
Lazy
Ecstasy
Hatred
….and so the list goes on.