Life Update.

So, it’s been a while. Sorry to disappear there for a minute. To say it’s been hectic past few days is a criminal understatement. Perhaps even a punishable offense. 17 hour orientation programs, underground tunnels between buildings, hallways that look identical almost everywhere, two square foot showers, I’ve experienced a lot since I’ve moved my entire life to New York City.

Typically, the jargon surrounding college sounds something like: “time of your life, sleeping in, parties every night”, so on and so forth. Some of this is true; these past few days have been full of some of the most fun I’ve had to date. The sleep catches up to you though, I do have to say. Running on 5 hours of sleep is not cut out for me. I’m used to the solid 8, sometimes 9. Sleep aside, life in NYC as a college student is kind of everything I assumed it would be. Today alone contained 5 hours of orientation programs, shopping at the University bookstore, calling family and my best friend back home in Chicago, impromptu Trader Joes grocery run with my roommates and a few of our friends on the floor, late night iced chais from the Tea shop on campus with my roommates, getting lost in the tunnels for the 4th time today, ending with a calm late night in the dorm, salt lamps on, music playing and blogging with the NYC lights as my backdrop. Really, what more could I have asked for?

I’ve been thinking a lot about a certain phrase lately. I know I’m not alone in this either, my roommates and friends have mentioned it as well as hearing it in passing other students around the city. “When is college going to stop feeling like summer camp?” Some say when classes start, some say around the holidays, some say it never does stop feeling like one giant sleepover with your friends. Honestly, I’m fine with any of the above responses, but I’m certainly curious to see what my final answer is at the end of my freshman year. I’ll be sure to post my response in May, don’t fret :)

3 days later—

Hi again! Since I’ve last blogged, it’s been a while, both figuratively and literally. I’ve started classes…yay? Definitely feeling the summer slip, if we’re being transparent. Already wrote my first college essay, feeling scared. The past few days, I’ve explored different parts of the city with both my roommates and a few friends from my floor, classes, and excursions. Bryant Park, Central Park, Lower East Side, The Met, Upper West Side, Grand Central, Greenwich Village, Times Square, just to name a few. All amazing places, each just as unique and gorgeous as the next. That aside, I’m convinced I’ve found a blip in reality, more commonly known as Time Square Station/49th street. The trains are always the opposite of what you wan them to be, letters are numbers, numbers are letters, it’s 85º, you’re sweating, you should have thought about not wearing a sweatshirt in New York during the summer, you’re thirsty, etc. Stay away if possible :)

In all seriousness though, New York is both exactly what I wanted it to be, while simultaneously being completely different than I thought. It’s all perspective, I’ve determined. I guess my words of advice, from a baby New Yorker to a perspective New Yorker would be this: Stay away from 49th street, its somehow everywhere…?; Do not touch anything that isn’t a pole on the subway; THRIFT, it’s much more cost effective; NYC is big, it’s easy to get swallowed up in the people in cool outfits, lights, sirens, tall buildings, etc. It’s okay to get swallowed up. You don’t have to be the idealized NYC, busy, corporate, high-achieving version of you yet. In fact, at least in my case, you won’t be for a while. But don’t rush growing up! Feel out your college/young adult years, indulge in the experiences, trends and fads of today’s youth because it won’t always be that way. Appreciate it.

Talk to you soon!

xoxo, Maddie