Last Day Before Class Begins

Today was the first day I have actually gotten to sleep in a little longer than usual. The sun was peeking through my window as I reached over to turn my alarm off before taking everything in and remembering that I was actually at Cornell, I finally made it to Cornell. It's also Eid today, my first one away from family. Eid Mubarak! I got dressed and the first thing I did was call my parents to wish them a Happy Eid and just talk about what they'll be doing without me. I made sure my mom knows not to have too much fun without me.

I opened up my 'sink room' which is connected with Miffy's and I heard her talking super loud. I wondered if she was on the phone or maybe Facetime with someone but I kept hearing her say the same things. I went into her room a little later and helped her with submitting a vlog she was actually recording as part of a project for her course she is taking called 'Secrets of Business Success.' She had some trouble submitting it because a majority of her work is online for her class. I was telling about how I have something very similar with my blog for Cornell. She liked blogging more because she said I would look back on my experience here and be glad I documented each and every thing that stood out to me. She definitely had a point.

We went and grabbed lunch after completing some work, checking emails, all the exciting stuff. Bella came too, she lives across from Miffy and we were joking about how Bella and I eat healthier compared to Miffy, she's hilarious and I feel like we're already best friends. I also witnessed my first pocket of rain, luckily I had my umbrella in my bag so I wasn't running down the pathway like some students were in an attempt to stay dry.

We still had some time to do whatever we wanted so we went back to our rooms since Bella had some reading to finish before her class starts. Sloan is a rising senior who lives across from me, this is her second time attending Cornell Summer College and I met her when I first moved in. She was coming back to her room when we asked if she wanted to come with us. We all went outside in the blazing sun with our computers and books to just chill. We sat at a table which was in the courtyard outside Balch and put some music on while I was telling them about the ILC, how unique it was and the process I went through to get myself here. They thought it was very interesting and agreed to take pictures with me for my blog; they felt famous.

Today was a scavenger hunt for everyone that was in the program, to help us to become more familiar with the campus or at least see it. There were so many girls and we didn't know where to go since we were never informed. All the girls from my floor grouped up and I called my RCA, Emma, who was literally five feet away but I couldn't see her because I'm short and so is she. It was a lot of walking, she was reading off a paper giving us clues as to where the building we are looking for is located. Some of the clues had all of us scratching our heads because they were about the history behind it. Others were easier because it had to do with what the building was used for. We were all complaining about the trek through campus and over the gorges, but it was worth it. It turned into a little bit more of a tour than a scavenger hunt because Emma was giving us background and fun facts on basically every building we passed, I really appreciated it and her enthusiasm about the whole thing. We were able to see some of the halls people had their classes in, the libraries, and learn some helpful tips from Emma about what building was air conditioned and had cold water.

We all went back to our rooms since we wanted nothing more than to sit down after that intense workout in the sun. I took a quick nap and then did some blogging and used Google Maps to find out how much walking I should be expecting this summer. A bunch of girls from my floor were going to go get dinner together, as I was grabbing my purse and shoes I saw how windy it was outside, I closed my window because my curtains were flying and I watched it begin showering in less than 5 minutes. Coming from California, I was amazed. But we were not going to miss dinner, so we took our umbrellas and walked through to get to RPCC which is the dining hall. I even saw some lightning and heard rumbles of thunder which was a new experience. 

Sloan and Miffy. Bella was taking the picture. 

There was also an activities fair where there were some clubs you could sign up for such as Veterinary Medicine which also happens to be a course in Summer College as well as basketball, but not many people were there. Sloan and I went to get some snacks along with a girl named Stacy and we just talked about our different stashes we have in our room and how we're open to share. Sloan had shrimp chips and a bunch of asian snacks I basically grew up eating; she also told me no one ever even heard of them so we had a deep connection. Most of the girls on my floor don't have roommates so we all just kept our doors open while we were working or doing other things in our room, it made it seem much more like home and I felt a lot less alone. So we always say hi when we're walking by or just stop and come inside and talk; all the girls are super open and  have become friends with them really quickly. 

A girl I met named Trinity who is Sloan's friend from last year went with me to our second scavenger hunt of the day which was including ice-cream. It started in the South Balch lounge and we were given clues on where to go for certain needs so that we could become familiar with the building. We went back and forth getting different kinds of ice cream and figuring out where North Balch's RCA is and where they throw away trash, do their laundry, etc. Then we did the same thing for South Balch. It was actually really funny because none of us knew where we were going so we all followed each other around. Then a group of us went to Miffy's room and talked, about our school traditions, family, and embarrassing stories from our childhood. Miffy's school actually is built like a California high school with breezeways and separate buildings, which sin't so nice during the winter time. And Trinity's school has a very dedicated mascot but is also very strict because she goes to a private Catholic school. Overall, I enjoyed getting to know these wonderful girls more and I feel so close to them since we are so open to the idea of meeting new people. 

Classes start tomorrow and I did not have any pre-assigned readings or homework to complete for my course unlike some of the other girls. I don't feel nervous about the course, but I am a bit anxious because I do not know what to expect. I have everything ready: books, supplies, snacks, anything I might need. Also tomorrow is supposed to be rainy so it will be interesting. I can't wait to get into a set routine with all my coursework, this Eid was actually good even though I was on the other side of the country.