The One-Month Mark

Yesterday, I started reading the book Ordinary People by Judith Guest, thinking that I could tie incorporate it into a project for my anthropology class; the more I read the more I realize it might suit a psych class better. I took the book on a whim from one of my high school English teacher who was giving books away to “good homes.” It had belonged to another legendary teacher, Dr. Allen, who had retired from teaching between my freshman and sophomore years of high school. I recognized the title because saw the movie, one that my dad really loves, in health class. Anyway, I read this line:

  

“But he [Conrad] cannot relax, because today is a Target Date. Tuesday, September 30. One month, to the day, that he has been home.”

A few things stuck out to me:

1)      Yesterday was Monday, September 29^th, so today is Tuesday, September 30^th. The book was published in 1976. It’s 2014. If only I’d started reading the book today…Tuesday, September 30.

2)      Of all the 365/366 days in a year, Guest chose September 30^th, which I find personally amusing because it happens to be my birthday. I’ve never seen my birthday in a piece of fiction before.  

3)      Today, Tuesday September 30^th, like for Conrad, marks one month to the day...that I have been in college.

So not only does today mark the nearly two decades (what.) of my existence, but also a complete month of living at SLC, within close proximity to NYC, 590 miles away from Columbus, and with 1,300ish other young adults. I’ve failed at laundry. I’ve failed at going to gym class. I’ve gotten homesick. I’ve made new friends. Today isn’t necessarily a target date, but, in honor of being nearly credibly adult-ish, here are 20 things in summary that I’ve learned in the past month:  

1)      There’s only one person who is allowed to arrive on time for class: that’s the professor. If you want a particular seat, even in a class of 15 people who meet at a large round table, arrive at least 10 minutes early.

2)      When you run out of money on your “One Card”  to run multiple dryer cycles when doing laundry and decide to “air dry” some clothes, make sure the clothing really is dry before you put it in your drawer. Not because they will remain wet, but because it won't smell particularly pleasant.

3)      Me one month ago: “I’ll never get into the city.” Reality: I’m going practically every week. I’ve been in four times and I’m going in again tomorrow. This is totally fun and awesome, but taking advantage of free means of getting into the city, like the college’s “Met Van” will be good.

4)      ShakeShack is not worth it. Sorry, Althof.

5)      The New York Subway System is surprisingly organized and logical. The Times Square Station is like an underground village. Grand Central Terminal is quite conveniently located. Generally, as long can read signs and know what you want, in terms of which train, which direction (uptown vs. downtown), and at which station you want to disembark, getting around isn’t...as daunting I you might expect.

6)      Bagelville on Palmer Avenue in Bronxville is a classic, great, New York bagelshop. My treat to myself: a toasted, sesame seed bagel with lox and cream cheese. Not a birthday cake. A birthday bagel. I almost wish I had thought of the candle and match that I have in my desk drawer a few hours earlier; that would have made for an odd culinary twist.

7)      Swing sets make for great social locations. So does the Teahaus. As does the Blacksquirrel Lounge. Each as its perks: the Teahaus sells [good] tea and coffee for a dollar. The Blacksquirrel [good] sells milkshakes. The swing set is good for…launching oneself.

8)      “They” and “their” are acceptable singular pronouns here. Getting asked what your preferred gender pronoun is a typical introductory question, and you will be looked down on if you give a snarky answer. For the record, I prefer she/her, but my favorite answer I’ve heard is “I’ll accept anything said out of respect.”

9)      The exposed, mossy rock that shows up around campus, in central park, and at the Botanical Gardens (among other places, I assume) is all thanks to glaciers. 2 million years later, they make for good lookout/people watching spots.

10)   I’m told that I remind people of Ellen Page. This is a big compliment, as far as I can tell.

11)  Pistachio nuts make great snack foods. So does pasta that you can take home in Tupperware from the cafeteria and eat at two in the morning. My point: it’s super easy to eat [unhealthily] here. Too easy.

12)  I’ve just now started consistently remembering to take a towel with me to the shower; I used to always have to turn around after I left to take a shower so that I’d grab a towel. It reminds me of Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: don’t forget your towel.

13)  It is acceptable to stay up late doing homework because I don’t have to drive 30 minutes to school anymore. No commute. It’s a wonderful thing.

14)  I just bought my airline tickets to come home for Thanksgiving!...and given how that went, I should probably figure out how I'm coming home for winter break…now.

15)  I’m fortunate to have the roommate that I do. Hearing other horror stories from my friends, I'm perfectly happy to room with the creative, smart Irish step-dancer.

16)  Take your keys everywhere, even if you’re just “stepping out for a second.” Getting locked out is meh.

17)  Procrastination is good for the soul and whiteboards are handy.

18)  You have to do your homework when your classes have 15 people in them and you’re expected to eloquently discuss what you read/wrote.

19)  There are new students like me who I met one month ago exactly whom I still talk to, but several whom I haven’t seen since. On the other hand, there are first year students who have come out of the woodwork. They seem too cool and confident to be younger than juniors, until suddenly they talk about the FYSs and how much they hate living in Hill House.

20)  Don’t doubt yourself…even if you’re asked to sing in front of your entire acting class, in which case, you sing “Do you want to build a snowman” from Frozen.                           

I’m getting used to the routines, the friends, the professors, and the bookishly-nerdy charm of SLC. The daily college life is becoming “ordinary.” I only vaguely remember details from my first day here; reading the post from that day jogs my memory a bit. I’m impressed by how much we can cram into a week of class; my first paper’s due on Friday. Woot.

Today’s not a target date, as Tuesday, September 30^th was for Conrad, but I wonder how much I’ve changed (if I’ve changed at all) in the past month. I’ve drastically changed in the past 20-ish years, obviously, going from newborn to young woman, which is still kind of odd to consider myself a “woman” just because that seems much more mature than I feel. But that’s a common theme with aging. And really, I’m not more than a day older than I was yesterday. Yet it's still fun.   

On a final note, it’s really encouraging when I go to write a post and I see that the blog has gotten 1,181 page views ever, not just for the purposes of posting about my life, but for overall encouragement to for the daily go. So, really, thank you a million times over. I hope this is as entertaining for you as it is for me. 

I'm really about 10 years old on the inside.