Last summer, we moved back to the city where I lived when I went to college. I never thought I'd end up back here . . . again. But I have to say it's been nice.
Because the elementary school where I work is right across the street from the university, I get to drive past the throngs of college students every day making their way up to campus. It always brings me a touch of nostalgia. I loved college! I loved everything about it: the independence of feeling like a real adult for the first time; the roommates you get randomly stuck with who quickly become your life-long friends; the dorm rooms that make you claustrophobic after 2 short months; the silent library crammed with studying students; the hours of time you have to yourself each day; the late, late nights that are okay because you have 11am classes; the Sunday walks with your roommates; the church lessons that are all directed to your age group and the quiet, peace of a college ward; the cereal-for-dinner nights (oh wait, I still do those!); sitting in the student section at sporting events; the dating drama- oh, the drama; meeting people from all over the country; laughing hysterically for an hour with your roommate about mixing up laundry day (you wouldn't laugh if I told you, but it is still incredibly funny to me); being able to move to a new apartment with only 1 carload of stuff; spending Saturday mornings reading in the park; having a girlfriend nearby whenever you need a workout/jogging buddy; watching movies on your roommate's 12-inch tv/vcr that seemed perfectly adequate for the apartment; finding your own "perfect" study-spot on campus; living with girls who are always available to help pick out outfits and stop you from wardrobe disasters; getting to decide your new schedule every 4 months; eating lunch in the Cougareat while doing a crossword puzzle between classes; making elaborate plans for post-college life (that are all rearranged as soon as you graduate); and taking advantage of every moment as the four years quickly pass.
I'm in a new stage of life now, and I am so happy about that. But it makes me smile to remember my college days, to see all the college students experiencing it now, and especially to think about how much fun Porter and Baby Girl will have when they go to college someday.
What a fun stage of life! And how wonderful it is now to focus on the joy of my current stage. I know I'll look back on these starting-our-family days with even more happiness . . . and hopefully with the peace of knowing that I did all I could in this stage to enjoy every single moment.
3 comments:
I keep pushing Dave to get his Ph.D. so we can move back to Provo and he can be a professor. I can't even think about Provo and BYU without a smile. And I can't believe the new DT dorms, they are like Harvard, gorgeous, ivy-league-style buildings! I would die to live there now. Your summary is exactly like my experience (except for the workout stuff, I let the other girls do that :) but I want my kids to go there so badly. There is nothing like BYU in the whole world.
awww...great post. though I have to laugh, my kids are all FREAKED OUT about college. Why??? Because of Toy Story 3! Andy going to college and leaving his toys was just too much for my kidlets to handle and they all adamantly insist that they will NEVER go to college! :) Thank you Woody and Buzz!
I love this post--every single part. I feel exactly the same about college...oh how I love those days and miss them often.
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