Northern MIchigan University

    The First Week...(sorry its a month late, its been crazy)

Sunday

     Today I felt so welcomed into the dorms as I got to get to know my suitemates and roommate a little better. One of my suitemates Kate had spent the previous summer learning Brazilian Jujitzu and demonstrated on her less inclined but good sport roommate Sarah. We joked about wasp spray as apposed to pepper spray because apparently wasp spray has 20ft distance spray and would be better if an intruder came in and you didn't feel like getting up from your bean bag chair.
     The hilarity was followed by a really long house meeting on policies and how we can go to our RA if we need help with anything.  
     For the first time since I can remember, I feel extroverted and like I want to connect with the people around me. I want to open my dorm door and see who walks in with interesting stories to tell. Somehow I have found a collection of equally weird and out of place people who all love life and nature and being away from the big city. I am so happy to be here, I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I was to excited to sleep. I didn't feel anxious at all, I felt confident, at home, and at peace.

Monday

        This morning I woke up a little more nervous, now I'm just crossing my fingers that my classes don't screw me over. Today is my first day of classes, starting with organic chemistry, followed by Physics and Biology. I am hoping that I have chill teachers who are as passionate about teaching as the ones at WCC.
     Slightly nervous for my Orgo class, though it is taught by a fabulous gay Frenchman so at the very least it should be interesting. More nervous for my Physics class that is taught by A Japanese professor with a very heavy accent. It's much harder to understand him as I am much less familiar with eastern accents than I am European. overall seems like an alright day.

Tuesday

     For those of you who have read Douglas Adams Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy, you may recall him describing a small parasitic fish that lives in your ear that translates unintelligible languages and translates them. for purely selfish reasons of course, and I'm paraphrasing but the experience was described as you can still hear the scratching/gurgling of the unintelligible language, but through it, you were able to understand. well that's what it's like having my French instructor teaching the class.

     Not much happened today, only had the one organic chemistry lecture though my professor while talking about Lewis Structures said, "you cannot do this that would be crazy!!" in the exact accent of Lumiere from beauty and the beast  and it was pretty great.

     oh I also went to the fall fest which was just a bunch of advertising for clubs and local business, it was cool and also I got caffeinated Chapstick.

Wednesday

     I cried. a lot. holy fuck physics is hard. with a teacher I only half understand. After my three hour physics lab I cried in the bathroom and then went to physics lecture. and then I cried and went to my bio lecture which is very relaxing and I love the professor, every lecture he seems like he is going to pee from the excitement of teaching and that is exactly the kind of teacher everyone should have. he is a rather adorable old man who on the first day of classes talked to us about sponges for half an hour. Biology seems so far to be my refreshingly easy class.

     Later that evening I tried to tackle physics again and wound up having a complete breakdown. I ran into my suitemates room and Sarah turned from her homework asking me "what's wrong?"
"Physics" I squeaked out in a tiny voice. she gave me a hug and I felt a little better, then taking advantage of the gym by my dorm to get some exercise. this was followed by a two hour skype session with my boyfriend to help me through my homework.

Thursday

     things went a little better today, it started with a field lab for biology where we unsuccessfully caught dragonflies, followed by the three lectures and the a night chemistry lab. bahumbug.

Friday

      Today started with meeting people for lunch. It was really nice to socialize, something that comes a little more naturally here. I had two quizzes/three lectures, and in the evening Kate, Sarah, Alyssa and I went out to unnamed Morgan falls to hike. Kate and I climbed up the water fall, and after the hike Kate and sarah got in a huge mud fight in the dirt road. It was awesome and an excellent reminder that I need to get myself off campus every now and then to maintain my sanity. 

Ps. Sorry for the tardiness of this post, but been swamped with classes and such. Physics is a little better now, but still stuggling, Yahoo answers is teaching me way better than the book.