And So It Begins

I got up early. Had two things to do before my 11 a.m. orientation meeting: pick up my permit and get my school ID.

I had been told there would be lines galore, so I made sure to get up and out the house so that I could be at University Parking Services at 7:30 when it opened.

Everything went according to plan 'til I got in the car and on the road. Somehow, some way, I couldn't find the place and found myself circling one particular area three times before frustration, irritation, and tears came.

For all purposes, I'm a new driver and I still get twinges of nervousness when behind the wheel, and being in a new city, a new state just makes matters worse, so in my state of breakdown, I let loose a string of profanity, turned around, and decided to go back home.

Screw a parking permit.

About three, four blocks from my complex, I saw the sign for the university police and went to ask them where UPS was.

When an employee told me the building was right next door (and not called University Parking Services at that), I couldn't help but laugh and ask God, "So, you like playing with me, huh?"

Thank God, there was NO line, and I was in and out in about five minutes.

Next, finding the commuter parking (which is like centuries away from civilization). That wasn't the hard part.

What was hard was looking like a tourist as I held my map close to my face and meandered nearly half the campus to reach the English building. Thirty or so minutes later, I reached it - hot, sweaty, and tired.

I didn't go in. I just knew how to get to SUB (Student Union Building) from it, and that's where I needed to go to get my ID. I did, however, see on a bench under a blanket of trees to catch my breath before another trek.

Again, thank God, there was NO line for the ID, and I was in and out in about five minutes.

And because I had such an early start, thanks to all the people who told me to expect lines, I had a little over an hour to chill before orientation, and I did, nearly falling asleep and providing new students on a tour with my pleasant snores.

The orientation, which I was so nervous about, actually was great. Got to meet my fellow fellows and the director. Got a major pep talk and overview of the program. Got to share my interests and talk to people, and I found I openly talked. Me thinks I was missing talking with people face to face, LOL

After the meeting and a lunch with other students in the department, I made the trek back to the car and headed home.

Once there, I sat, staring at my TTU card and smiled.

I called my mom, told her about my day, and said, "No matter the whining, complaining, and worry I exude over the next several years, Mommy, know this: I got this."

And I do. I'm excited about this and ready to be around people and have intelligent conversation and do research and write papers.

It'll be hard. I'll be cranky. I'll be sleep-deprived. I'll wonder why I tortured myself through this.

But I'll be fine.

Why?

'Cause...I got this.

I'm official, baby.