Birkenstocks required

Today I had my first official day of classes at school. After a nice breakfast with my floor mates, I had my first class, images of nature. Which is a class I think I will really enjoy. There a field tips almost every week and the entire focus of the class is nature/the environment. It's going to be a very interesting class. Of course our first assignment was based on the summer reading, which I didn't know about because up until two weeks ago, I was signed up to go to UVM. That all feels like ancient history...

Anyway, I think I will be able to make due and write something pretty decent despite only having read the first chapter of the book. 

I then headed across the hall to Unraveling Food Systems, which also looks like it's going to be a very cool class. It is an area that I am interested in, but don't know that much about. I had to order three more text books for it though...thank God for amazon. That being said, if I added up all the money I have spent on text books... I could have bought about six pairs of toe shoes. (Which I really want by the way. They are crazy comfortable.)

After that class I was done for the day. Which again poses that problem that I am slowly working out, "what the hell do I do with my time?" I ended up taking a walk with a good friend of mine that I went to high school with who also goes to GMC. It was quite the relief to already have a friend here and through her I have already met so many people. I've met so many people these past few days...I've forgotten most of their names. But we will get there. 

So we walked by the cows and the farm and the river and then up to the main lawn where we met her roommate. She left for class And her roommate and I bonded over Sherlock. It was pretty awesome. We ended walking into town and she showed me around a bit. 

Later on I went to the first ultimate frisbee club meeting, where we pretty much tossed around the frisbee. Then it was dinner time. Which is about four hours earlier than when my family normally eats, but I'm getting used to it. 

I worked on my paper for a bit and at eight I went to the first Farm Crew meeting. I plan to spend as much time as possible at and around the farm. 

Then I came back to my room and my roommate and her friend were watching honey boo boo. Which is my guilty pleasure. So that was enjoyable. 

It feels like a million years since I've arrived. So much learning and figuring out of things has taken place in the last few days. I've seen more hippies than I have ever seen ever. I seriously feel like I need to buy a pair of Birkenstocks to truly be a GMC student. 

So I am slowly making my way and finding my friends. Which is what concepts me more than the class work. But all in all, if you have to make friends, hippies are the ones to do it with. 

I'm at college...

I am currently sitting in my dorm room. Sweltering. It is hot, humid and sticky up here on the third floor.
This moment I have been preparing for (and fearing) over the last year. I've thought about it and imagined and speculated endlessly. And finally, here I am. It's very surreal.
Yesterday orientation started, but because of a wedding of a close family friend, my family moved my in today. And because at weddings there is dancing and alcohol, we got a later start today than we had planned.
We arrived on campus around one and bumbled around and got my key and moved my stuff in. My roommate, who is a junior and I have only talked to twice so far, had all her stuff out and ready.
I then realized I had to take a math placement test. Yay!!
After that, my parents, sister and I walked around a bit. Every student we passed said hello. Which seems so strange to me, but it's very welcoming. 
I didn't have any commitments until six and I wasn't sure what to do with myself. Especially since I had no idea what the orientation schedule was or how it was being run.
Around five my family left and I headed up to my room until it was time because... well what else would I do? Then when it was time I met with my "images of nature" class to have dinner together. As it turned out, we were going to be having a picnic at our professors house. We all carried the food a few blocks to her house where we ate, did some ice breakers and got to know each other a bit. There are some cool people in that class that I loom forward to getting to know better.
Afterwards, we all headed back to campus to watch a student produced play about life at GMC, which was absolutely hilarious.
Then I came upstairs and took my first college shower. Which was not nearly as bad as I had imagined. No one was in the bathroom so it was actually relaxing.
And now I'm here, on my bed, wondering if I should shut the light off or wait for my roommate to return. I'm not sure how this will work out. It's not a personal thing against my roommate, whom I barely know. I just like the idea of having my own space.
So far, so good. Everyone is amazingly friendly and the campus is manageable. I am sort of freaking out about the social stuff, but all I can do is be open and active in the community. I can't let my fear inhibit me from making friends.
So here we go...