New Faces, New Places

    I don't really know whether to run around campus and hug every random person I see or hiss at the next being to come within fifteen feet of me.  Similarly, I don't know if I feel like joining as many clubs and organizations as possible or retreating into my corner to re-watch every episode of Pretty Little Liars.  Needless to say, I've been riding on an emotional roller coaster the past week.  It's really not as dramatic as I make it sound, but I'd be lying if I said I was adjusting as much as I make it seem.  So much of our summer was spent in anticipation for the coming months, and now that it's here, I feel a bit bewildered.  I'm sure I'm an amusing sight for upperclassmen.  "Hey guys, look!  It's a confused and wide-eyed Linnea.  Must be a freshman. Did she really just run into a garbage can when she saw that hot guy walk past?" (Yes, she did.  But, in my defense, it caught me off guard.)  That hot guy lives somewhere in my dorm building and I always seem to see him at the worst possible times!  I had just finished my run (quite intense, I might add) and looked like a ball of sweat.  Guess who decides to come strolling along?  Yeah, whatever-his-face.  I honestly don't even know his name.  But enough of boys!  Besides the occasional visual enjoyment of that pretty boy's face, I haven't really met any.  I'll give you a run down of my classes. 

ECON:  This class is at 8AM every Monday and Wednesday morning.  I arrived about ten minutes early, expecting some confused elder to stumble into the room.  I was pleasantly surprised by a fresh-faced, twenty-nine year old professor who is going to make waking up that early a little less unacceptable.  Can we say Ezra Fitz? Just kidding, I would never do that, I swear! 

ACCOUNTING: So for this class (also on Mondays and Wednesdays), my professor is new and constantly reminds us of it.  It kind of stinks because it starts at 11 and goes until 12:15 and then I have a class right after at 12:30 that goes until 1:45.  "Hey Linnea, when do you eat lunch?"  That's a good question.  I don't.  It makes me so unhappy!  So I hit up McDonald's before both classes instead.  They gave us these year-round coupons for stuff and it's really handy.  Anyways, accounting is going well so far.  I have this attractive British boy in it and he looks like Louis Tomlinson, except a solid 6'1''. (He literally walked right past as I wrote that. Good thing the computer is facing away heh heh.)  He's on the soccer team AND lives a floor up from me.  I kind of want to ask if he's a Directioner so we can sing every song in some kind of open field.  I suppose all good things come with time, though. Someday. Okay, I really can't focus on writing about accounting, so as you can imagine, it's really not the most exciting thing.  

FYS:  Our First Year Seminar class meets right after accounting.  Our time throughout the semester will be focused on why people lie, why people feel compelled to lie, etc etc.  We've only had one class so far, but it seems like it'll be interesting!

ENGLISH:  This class will be fun. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30, yo.  I get to read and write short stories! (We're good at that;))  I really hated our homework last night, though.  We had to read this super abstract story about "backpacks made of stone" and "girls in burning skirts" and a loverboy named Paul who hung out in a closet.  It sounds super weird, right?? The cherry on top was that we got to write a critique.  "What should the author have done differently?" "UM, NOT WRITE IT AT ALL."  

MATH:  It's funny because she's teaching us stuff that Ms. Pintozzi taught us at the beginning of Junior year and other people are like "What?" and I'm like "I KNOW THIS!" So, Business Calculus, challenge accepted.  I can do this.  

  On Fridays, I only have one fifty minute business seminar thing.  ("Dress in business casual, please.") What?! But I only own sports shorts and self-made muscle shirts!  Thank God for speech team, right? I've got my business suit, at least.

    Overall, things are going really well.  I do get homesick sometimes and I really wish I could see my friends! I miss you like crazy!  But, if I wasn't here, I would feel like I'm wasting away part of my life.  As appealing as sleep and eating are, I think college will prove itself to be even better.  Anyways, I hope you are doing absolutely fantastic at Grove City!  P.S. I'm really sorry that I haven't written in so long.  And it isn't even my day to post.  But I am anyways because I feel bad at neglecting our poor blog.  I'll try to call you soon--  and I'll be looking for a post soon so I can read all about how YOU are :)

Flyover States

I hate flying. Weird, I know, but I get super sick on takeoff and landing and freak myself out being in airports by myself. But right about now, flying is sounding real good.

Over the past week, I have been in a car for approximately 29 hours. That's not counting cab rides or subways that took me to and from my various destinations around New York City. And I'm still in the car - probably for about another three hours. I pity my family who all have to drive another 16+ hours to get back to the great state of Minnesota starting on Thursday.

To make the trip bearable, there have been a variety of solutions.

1. Family games. These range anywhere from talking in accents and tickle wars to keeping track of state license plates. So far on the trip, we've seen all but 15 (two of which are Alaska and Hawaii, so really we've seen all but 13).

2. Lots of reading. I've been rereading the Harry Potter series and managed to burn my way through Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows since leaving home. Unfortunately, I read the last few chapters of the latter last night which completes the series. So now I'm bookless for the last leg of the journey.

3. Movies! I've actually only watched one, but Annika used the computer to entertain herself quite a few times. Ocean's 11 was a welcome break from the road.

4. Writing... Or editing, more aptly. The Legend of Harthore is slowly coming along, but I really need to sit my butt down and actually finish it.

5. Naps!!! I can't tell you how many times I've fallen asleep on this trip - on trains, in our car - in a variety of different positions which have left me in various levels of soreness, and on three (soon to be four) different beds.

That all being said, complaining is not entirely the point of this post. Entitled "Flyover States", I have to admit that flying over Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York is sounding better and better. But I don't believe God created them as flyover states, so I decided to use this post to find the reasons why each state is worth driving through - even if it does force me to spend about as much time in the car as out of it.

1. Minnesota. Which is home, obviously, so there's that. More to the point, there are 10,000+ lakes. Which seems normal but is actually insane. MN has more "coastline" than any other state.

2. Wisconsin. The state of the cheese heads! But in all seriousness, three of my good friends from high school live in Wisconsin (Claire, Julian, and Mick). Plus they do have some gorgeous cliff formations and awesome biking trails.

3. Illinois. Corn and farmers! And my cousins, who are incredible. Plus there's Chicago where I had my audition for The Voice. Basically, Illinois has a bunch of awesome memories.

4. Indiana. Which holds Notre Dame, the school that I literally think half of the Trinity Class of 2013 applied to. Plus there's Trinity School at Green Lawn, sister school number 1.

5. Ohio. This one was hard because I know little to nothing about OH. But driving through it was pretty gorgeous with all of the hills and trees.

6. Pennsylvania. Which (obviously) is the home of Grove City!! I can't wait to get started with whatever crazy adventure God has planned for me there - whether it lasts 4 years or 1!

7. New Jersey. Again, a harder one. But my friends aunt and uncle live there, and they were super charitable to host Bessie the Van for three days while we were in New York City!

8. New York. While the city is totally insane, polluted, and - yes - at moments terrifying, it really grew on me over the course of our time there. Yes, stairs to a fifth floor apartment were awful. And yes, the subway was creepy. And no, I don't know if I'll be visiting Staten Island any time soon after a creepy encounter with a homeless man. But Broadway is incredible, and the hustle and bustle keeps up a fast pace that I just love. Outdoor cafes are incredible, Central Park is gorgeous, and the way the city lights up at night is riveting. 

NYC is (in my humble opinion) the true cultural center of the United States. And while that's terrifying in some ways, seeing two headlining Broadway stars who are truly incredible, strong, Christian men (Corey Cott and Zachary Levi - and that's not just from the tabloids) is inspiring. I want to make a difference like that - using gifts that God has given me, and just loving people around me and being clear about my faith.

That all to say that Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York are hardly flyover. Each of them has a lot of worth, and each of the people there needs the love of Christ shown to them. Through me, my friends, or a few guys on Broadway.

Before It All Begins

      I guess it's only natural to feel nostalgic and apprehensive as we venture past our high school years into the intimidating and unknown world of college.  When I was younger, I remember thinking college students were the coolest.  They had this whole life to balance without the immediate support of certain family members (MOM!) and, as the idea of independence has always been particularly appealing to me, I founded this great respect for all who led a collegiate life.  They seemed so confident in who they were and remarkably in control of whatever future they had.  Of course, at the age of eight or nine, I imagined that I too would someday mature into a capable young individual with a drive to succeed.  I think I can avouch for that, at least. But I would be lying to you if I said I felt calm, cool, or collected about my imminent college experience. I keep asking myself all of these berserk and ridiculous questions like: What if I fall into a fit of hysterics as my family leaves me for the first time? Will there be attractive members of the opposite sex? And most importantly, how am I supposed to poop with five other girls in the bathroom?! Those were incredibly awful examples, but the point is, I'm kind of a mess. I'm anxious for the future, but clinging to the past. Allow me to expound upon my cluttered state of mind.

    
      Imagine, if you will, my fatigued body, lying motionless on a black leather sofa. My vacant stare suggests that my mind is unperturbed, but as people say, looks can be deceiving. In reality, my mind is a whirlwind of chaos. A few moments pass and Logical Linnea confidently gaits into the bare and undecorated room. Perceiving my troubled condition, she sits herself in a wooden chair located directly across from the sofa. “What disturbs you, young one?” she asks. I look at her with wide eyes. “College is coming,” I whisper. Logical Linnea flicks an irritated glance at me. “Linnemus Bellomus, you are completely overreacting,” she sighs. “There are millions of other first year college students who cope with this transition every single year. It's time you do the same. Oh, and fix your hair. It's absolutely frightening.” And directing a stern glance at my disheveled self, the logical me swiftly turns her back and walks away. I roll my eyes. Logical Linnea was always so condescending. Just then, a muffled grunt captures my attention. Pessimistic Linnea heaves herself out of the dark and musty corner. “It's a lie,” she rasps, lifting her dull gaze to meet my paled face. Pessimistic Linnea has a way of freaking me out. “It's all a lie, you know. You think you'll make friends in college, but you're wrong. An eccentric being like you, you won't last one semester.” She eyes me for an uncomfortably long time before retreating back to her corner. “Don't say I didn't warn you.” were her parting words. An involuntary cry escapes my lips. “I hate college!” I say bitterly and fling myself to the floor in a melodramatic display of pitiful whimpering. I lay there for a few minutes before I feel a tug at my sleeve. “Hey. Dude. Man. You okay?” It was Chill Linnea. My eyes are swollen and red from crying, but I nod my head. “Good,” says Chill Linnea, a look of relief flooding her face. “I don't like feelings so it would've been awkward if you had said no.” A smile creeps on my face. “Dude. Me too! You're awesome. It's almost like we're the same person or something.” “Yeah, totally,” says Chill Linnea. “Hey, I know you're a little apprehensive about the upcoming semester, but let me just say a few things. First of all, you'll do fine. Honestly, just be yourself and try hard. You're there for the academics anyways, right? Everything else will fall into place. You'll see. And if it doesn't, I want you to remember these four words: Honey Badger Don't Care. For real, yo.” And in that moment, everything became crystal clear. “Wow. Thanks, Chill Linnea.” I say gratefully. “Your profound words of wisdom never fail to inspire me.” “Anything to help a sista out! You holler if you need me, man.” Chill Linnea smiles, patting me on the back. I grinned. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. College could be the opportunity of a lifetime! “Oh, I was hoping you'd feel better soon!” Hopeful Linnea emerges from behind the couch. “Go away, Hopeful Linnea.” I snarl. “Nobody likes you. You give me false optimism about life and boys.”

      
     I know what you're thinking. I'm absolutely insane. But if we're being honest here, that was a pretty accurate representation of my inner strife. Except that I really don't have Multiple Personality Disorder. It was just more fun than droning on incessantly about my many feelings and warped emotions. Like I said, I think it's only natural for everyone to feel anxious. We have spent the last four years rooting ourselves deeper into our respective communities and strengthening relationships with intimate friends and family. We are who we are because of them. Now, we must familiarize ourselves with the idea of being plucked from our comfort zones and placed into a completely new environment. The realization that I will be in college in less than three weeks is unnerving to me. I really don't know whether to be extremely excited, absolutely terrified, or a little bit of both. I guess it depends on the day. But, in this time of great excitement, angst, nostalgia, uncertainty, anticipation, apprehension, and hundreds of other indescribable feelings, I leave you with this quote: “There are far, far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.” - C.S. Lewis. (In this case, he may or may not be referring to the afterlife. But it's a C.S. Lewis quote and seemed relevant enough, so there!)

Here's to the future, that it may be filled with joyful memories and unexpected adventures:)